Stop Playing The Hero
by Idyllicdream
Summary: Tadashi is a role model for everyone: kind, easygoing and supportive. His selflessness leads him to dive head-first into danger for anyone in need of help, without thinking of himself and those who need him. But both his qualities will be tested when a new genius arrives at San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, whose forthright sarcasm will force him to rethink his beliefs.
1. Chapter 1: We have Arrived

**Foreword:** Hello, this is Idyllicdream and I'm so glad you chose to read 'Stop playing the hero'. Now I've getting a few questions and thought it would be much more convenient if I just said it outright: **this is not a romance fic. **There will be friendship, there will even be _some_ TxHL shipping, but this is** definitely not romancentric. **This fic will focus mainly on exploring the dynamics of Tadashi's decision, his character and his sacrificial beliefs. I was sad when he died and Hiro was left without a brother. But at the same time, I'm angry, because Tadashi should've known he was risking his life, should've known the consequences, should've thought twice before making that decision. This fic is mainly me giving Tadashi _a piece of my mind. _I'm not bashing him - he's my favourite BH6 character - but it doesn't mean I think he's made some stupid choices.

I've ranted enough. Before reading, I just want you guys to know that I really appreciate your patience. The first few chapters were written when I was a snot-nosed newbie to the ff community, but personally I think it gets better later on.

Let's go on a journey!

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Chapter 1:

We have Arrived

**_San Fransokyo International Airport, 5:56 AM_**

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have now arrived at our destination, San Fransokyo International Airport." - announced the flight crew through a muffled transmitter. - "…The local time is 5:57 and the outside temperature is 12 degrees Celsius. Kindly remain seated until the aircraft has come to a complete stop…"

The girl's eyes darted briefly to the seatbelt sign before focusing again on the view outside the window of the airplane (or at least the little of what could be seen from it). A book lay fondly closed on her lap – her long travelling hours have allowed her progress through the book well. She spotted a few other aircrafts resting peacefully at their station and read the names of the airlines.

She thought, not without some sarcasm, that they looked more well-rested than she did. She hadn't lied down for 16 to her seat_,_ so her entire body now felt stiff as a stick– a souvenir of the long hours she'd been on this plane. It would be hard to get up…

.

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"Miss Takagi?"

Her name called, she quickly refocused on the smiling lady behind the reception desk.

"That would be me." – she replied, trying not to sound too tired. In truth, she yearned for something to lie down on.

The lady had a lively expression.

"Please come this way. I need you to sign and verify a few admission forms. Please return them to me once you are finished." – once Sanae handed in the filled papers, the lady smiled quickly scanned them and nodded. – "Yup, all seems to be in order. Mr. Pichon will take you to see your professor now, if you would follow him."

The girl nodded with words of mild-mannered thanks before turning back to catch up with the other college staff. Her eyes swept around, taking in the modern buildings and spacious school grounds.

"Oh and one more thing." – the student services lady called loudly after. – "Welcome the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology!"

.

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**_San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, Robotics Lab._**

"Did you hear?"

"Hear what?" – Tadashi said from where he was bending over his lab table, upon which laid his latest project. He turned around to briefly make eye contact with his friend, trying to no avail to remember any stand-out news he heard that day.

An answer, however, was quickly supplied by Fred.

"Duh, the one about the new student. A new student's gonna be transferred here next week! What else?"

Tadashi never paid much attention to the veins of gossip running through the school. But if ever was there any rumour important enough to warrant a discussion amongst the science geeks in the Robotics lab, it had to be _very_ important. And he'd usually just leave it to Fred to broadcast the goings on in SFIT.

"Oh, that one. I heard this student flew all the way from Japan to study at here. Pretty cool," – Wasabi popped in their conversation and added.

"Yeah, that's like half away around the world!" - Fred butted in excitedly - "Do you guys know what it'd be like to actually _live_ in Japan? I went there once, you know and it was awesome!"

Tadashi chuckled. Being half-Japanese himself, he had spent a part of his childhood in that island country. At the edge of that far away continent. He couldn't remember much, since it was so long ago, but he did remember that it was beautiful. His Dad had a private research lab in the countryside, in one of Japan's mountainous regions. They practically lived inside the lab, but surrounding it was one of the most gorgeous scenes anywhere has to offer. It was back when his parents had been alive, and he and Hiro were the happiest of children growing up. But that was, again, a long time ago.

He suspected that Fred was excited for a entirely different reason. It was a fact that Fred was clueless about anything related to the world map, with the only exception of one country. His friend had always revered the Japan, the birth place of one of the greatest branch of comics - manga, not to mention awesome television shows called anime. Fred, being obsessed with both, had always advertised his dream to visit Japan again.

"Yeah, from what I heard, this guy's a pretty impressive deal. IMO* Champion at age 11, 13 and 15. Twice International Young Physicists' Tournament First Prize Winner, and apparently a chess master." - Wasabi recited, nodding to his friends with a light smirk.

"Seems like a glittering profile." - A dark, slightly humored voice that could only be Go Go Tamago's, who seemed to be pulled into the conversation as she was passing by. "No wonder he could pull off something like a mid-year transfer."

"Do you think we should throw a welcome party?" - Tadashi laid the books he'd been carrying down a table and put his elbows on them.

Then came Honey Lemon, in all her jubilant clothing, heels and fashionable 60s headband. "I think that's a great idea." - she chimed - "It'll make him feel so welcome. And it might be nice to have someone new around here."

"**No No No No**" - Fred butted in to stop the flow of conversation, fervidly waving his hands around. - "What's this about a guy? You guys got it wrong. I'm telling you, it's a _girl_!" – smirked Fred, pleased with his superior knowledge compared to his 'nerd' friends. – "I mean, have you seen her picture? She's a keeper!_"_

"Wow, like, for real?" – asked Wasabi in wonderment. – "bout time! Our lab goes negative in feminity."

Go Go immediately smacked him on the head.

"Just kidding, Go Go. Ouch..." – flinched the victim. – "See! _That_ just proves my point!" He mumbled.

Tadashi had some doubts on where these rumors came from. Especially how indeed did Fred obtain a photo of the transfer student who has yet to arrive. He hadn't forgotten the last time Fred got his sources wrong. (By the way, the guys at IT Dept. had sworn they'd hack all their online accounts if they ever set foot near their building again)

"I hope she's nice." – said Honey Lemon dreamily.

"I'm sure we'll get along." – said Tadashi, ever optimistic.

"Says the guy who's popular to his pants. Your rules don't apply to the rest of us." Go Go smirked and went over to Wasabi's side, who instantly panicked at her messing up his space.

"Come on, guys. Get back to research. Enough chatting already." – Professor Callaghan cleared his throat seriously, but the light twitch on the corner of his mouth suggested that the man was amused.

As his friends scrambled back to their posts and their voices faded into the background ("Wasabi, have you seen my Di2 Internal 8 Speed Hub Gear?") Tadashi's thought just a moment longer on this new student. Members of their department had always been on good terms. So he couldn't care less how the new student looked or even the ridiculous number of prizes she'd won, so long as everyone is happy.

But he must admit that this is all so sudden. Such a transfer must have uprooted much of the student's old life. Tadashi's own early childhood experience had taught to him just how difficult it was, suddenly leaving everything dear and familiar to you behind. As such, he was to do as much as he could to make her feel welcome. After thinking this, he decided that he'd been distracted enough and set this news aside, focusing again on his research.

Little did he know that the next few months in his life would be the most challenge he'd ever face. Little was SFIT's most prized student aware that it was he who would be uprooted by the new student's presence. And that she'd violently shake up everything which he'd stood for in life til then.

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***IMO** \- International Maths Olympiad, one of the oldest of the International Science Olympiads for pre-college students.

***IYPT** \- International Young Physicists' Tournament, one of the World's foremost, largest and influential annual physics competitions.

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**_A/N:_**

Hi there!

After seeing Big Hero 6, I practically fell in love with the Hamada brothers. I feel there is something very dynamic and deep about their characters, and if you're thinking that I am some Tadashi fangirl…then BINGO! You're right! I have no shame ^_^

I hope you enjoy the first chapter. Please review.


	2. Chapter 2: And so we met

Chapter 2

And so we met

**Hamada brothers' bedroom, 7:53 PM**

"Hey, Tadashi! Hey…" – Hiro touched his sleeping older brother's shoulder and shook it. He couldn't help but smirk when his brother, besides breathing, showed no other sign of life. Hiro only shook harder, this time nearly jumping on Tadashi's bed.

"Wha-What? Hiro, what are you doing?" – Tadashi said in a yawning voice. Obviously, Hiro's objective had been served.

"Saving your attendance record." – Hiro had to stifle a laugh. – "You might want to wake up, big bro. You have 17 minutes before the tram leaves."

Tadashi processed Hiro's words slowly at first, his sleep-foggy mind not quite cleared up yet. But then, it hit him in the hardest way possible - like a wall of cascading peanuts.

"OHHH MY GOD."

The college boy shot out of bed with the speed of a bullet train and immediately looked for a way to dress up. Hiro only sat on his brother's bed, pouring laughter - he couldn't help it anymore!

"You could have woken me up earlier!" – Tadashi cried in disdain, throwing a jacket over himself and began shoving notes into his bag.

"Hey, that's your alarm clock's job." – Hiro cracked a toothy grin. – "Though I think it _malfunctioned_ this morning…"

"The professor is going to murder me." – Tadashi groaned before vanishing behind the door. Hiro was still sprawled out on his bed with barely contained amusement.

.

_Argh, that cocky little brother! He doesn't have school since he already graduated!_

.

"Morning Tadashi. Cutting it close today, don't cha think?" – congratualated his friends.

"I... made it on time…did I?" – Tadashi panted. He felt himself sweltering inside his jacket after running himself desperately to the lab.

"Yup, 'made it buddy." – Wasabi put one (heavy) arm around Tadashi's shoulders and gave him a powerful squeeze. Tadashi smiled and sighed in relief.

"Been burning the midnight oil again, Tadashi?" – Go Go Tomago teased.

"You got me." – Tadashi confessed with a white flag.

The fierce girl snorted. "Just try not to get up late next time. I'm holding a bet on whether you'll ever be late before the end of the year and don't you _**dare**_ make me lose!"

After that, she nonchalantly strode away to hassle Wasabi's 'neat-picking habit', as she put it while Tadashi sweat-dropped. Secretly he thanked his lucky star that his record of never being late was still intact (and so were his limbs).

As the students resumed their posts and the excitement over the prospect of a late Tadashi died down, the teen himself went to his own lab and dropped his bag absentmindedly. His mind already switched to professional mode, he was whirling through projects and calculating through numbers. His excitement took over. He didn't stayed unusually late last night for nothing, after all. He had came up with the most brilliant solution to a problem in the robot he'd been working on, and was dying to try it today.

But one thing was bothering him. No matter where he looked, he couldn't find one particular specially built carbon-fibre circuit he needed. After searching through his lab for a while, Tadashi decided to just borrow it from Wasabi.

"Thanks man." – Tadashi gave his friend a quick pat on the back.

"Hey, no prob." – replied Wasabi. – "Oh, by the way, do you see that box over there? It just came in. I think it's yours."

That halted Tadashi from bolting back to his lab.

"A parcel?" – Tadashi went to examine it.

"Yeah, I brought it in for you." – his friend confirmed.

Tadashi had to appreciate his best friend for that, since the parcel was neatly tucked away in the corner. It was nearly as big as Wasabi himself, who must have laboured for hours to bring Tadashi his mail.

"Wow, thanks again buddy. It's probably the special materials I ordered in." – Tadashi spun the box and took it into his arms.

"Hey, careful! That box is _colossal_." – Wasabi exclaimed.

"Nah, I got this." – Tadashi hoisted the box up and carried it steadily. Wasabi was right, though, he had to be careful. Though the box wasn't too heavy, it was bulky enough to block half of his view.

Now, the hard part was to carry this thing back to his lab in one piece. With Go Go whisking around and Fred not looking where he was going in his Godzilla costume, one did not have to be a genius at Robotics to calculate the frightfully small probability.

Nonetheless, one can not became a member of the SFIT's Robotics team without getting used to the certain quirkiness. And for the time he'd been here, Tadashi had grown quite fond of it.

In fact, he dodged them pretty well (or so he thought). He almost made it back to his lab when…

"LOOK OUT!"

Tadashi found his leg sliding away beneath him and he slid across the floor in a most non-acrobatic manner – Honey Lemon had accidentally spilled one of her glassy chemicals on the floor, effectively transforming it to an ice slippery sate.

He collided with an innocent someone, who let out a sharp cry; and crashed into a beautiful stop, sprawled out on the floor.

.

.

"Ugh…"

Tadashi struggled onto his feet; his unfortunate victim was also trying to shift into a more comfortable posture.

"Are you okay?" – he rubbed the back of his head with one hand. He was sure he'd bumped his head somewhere considering how it throbbed.

"Yes, for some reason." – she murmured.

"I am so, _so_ sorry." – Tadashi hastily offered a hand to other party. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I'm fine. Thank you." – she waved him off and got onto her feet. – "And you?"

Tadashi didn't have time to answer, as his friends were now besieging them with questions.

"Oh My God, are you guys okay?!"

.

.

It took many "We're alright"s and "It's okay"s, but the gang's concern was finally assuaged. Once they were, their curiosity on the victimised student began to get the better of them.

"I see you've had a most unexpected welcome, Miss Takagi." – Prof. Callaghan's voice interrupted them all.

"Hello, professor." – they all saluted the man.

"And to you." – he nodded in exchange and tapped the girl's shoulder. – "I'm sorry you had such a...riveting experience on your first day. But I must say, even _I'm_ surprised. Tadashi, you're usually more careful than that."

Tadashi looked a little embarrassed, but his friends quickly leapt to his defence. ("It's not his fault. Tadashi only tripped because the chemicals were spilt onto the floor!")

The new student also thought that it was only a small accident. She begged them not dwell on whose mistake it was and put a damp everyone's spirit.

With that, the accident was concluded and Callaghan beamed. He thought it was about time for a formal introduction.

"Attention, everyone." – the professor called. – "I would like you to welcome the latest member of our Robotics research team. Her name is Sanae Takagi. I hope we all get along well."

The team murmured in excitement.

"Ooh, cool! But how do you spell your name?" – someone no other than Fred asked. Upon not being able to decide on what her name is spelt like ("In Hiragana, Katakana or Romaji?"), Fred promptly declared. "Wow. You need a nickname. Oh oh. I got the perfect one! How about...Tumblina? You know, 'cause of how you went all tumbling when Tadashi knocked into you."

The girl's eyes rounded up like saucers.

"No." - she replied flatly.

"What? But it's such an awesome name!" Fred looked heartbroken at her outright refusal.

"NO!" - she exclaimed. - "It sounds silly."

"Tumblina. It sounds like Thumbelina. SEE! It suits you, you're so short looking too."

"I will **_not_** want to be called by that nickname, and I am **_not_** short!" - she said heatedly.

All in the room (save Fred of course) thought that the nickname he just came up with was lame even for him. But you had to give him one thing, he had a point in her being short, compared to the other girls in the lab. If Honey was wearing her high heels, Sanae would have stood just reaching her shoulders.

"Well okay, how about 'Fell'?" - Fred persisted stubbornly. - "...Dontcha think that sounds all dark and mysterious?"

The new student looked scandalised, Tadashi had to swallow his laughter. He almost felt sorry that she had endure this 'naming ceremony' right on her first day.

"San," – she suddenly said.

"What?"

"Call me San if you want a nickname so much."

"San? What does that even mean?" - it was Fred's turn to frown.

"It means three, in Japanese." - she explained.

"What does that have to do with-"

"My birthday's in March." - she swiftly added.

Fred seemed to take that as an explanation, and the argument was ended peacefully.

"San it is then! Welcome to the club."


	3. Chapter 3: You Can't Hold your Liquor

Chapter 3:

You Can't Hold Your Liquor

_**Two weeks later, San Fransokyo Institute of Techonology, Hall of the Speakers.**_

"…So you see, even though we're not quite there yet, we're just one step away from the achieving the greatest medical advance in the decade, thanks to the young people spearheading the march in Robotics. I believe that this is the great proof that once we put our heart and mind into something, nothing is impossible. Thank you."

The audience hall positively exploded. There was a thunderclap of applause, people whistled and shouted Robert Callaghan's name until their voices went hoarse. The sound resonated so loudly it felt as if it'd shoot through the roof of the lecture hall.

Half of the audience that day was surprisingly not the regular SFIT students. Attending the professor's speech were guests from business companies as well as other brilliant minds from the realm of science. It was hard to imagine how such shy creatures like adult engineers computer programmers, whose heads couldn't be turned by the latest hit nor bothered by the funkiest rock band could be capable of producing so much vibe and noise.

Tadashi, of course eagerly joined in with the ovation with his own moderate clapping and a proud, glowing smile next to his friends from their department.

"GO PROFESSOR!" – cheered Honey Lemon at the top of her lungs.

"The professor is _amazing_. How's he able to speak like that?" - Wasabi squealed in adoration.

Go Go smirked. "You're thinking of your own graduation speech, aren't you? Well, if you compared how you almost fainted..."

"Whoa whoa whoa, never mind what I said." Wasabi quickly interrupted, waving his hands frantically in front of Go Go as if he could block out what she was saying. "Professor Callaghan's coming down."

They were now pouring towards where the professor is to hail the man as he stepped down, their faces shining like a beacon of delight. Professor Callaghan was small against the impending shower of congratulations on his latest research and pats on the back for his wondrous speech.

"Alright everybody. Step aside. Excuse me. Coming through," - Fred wove through the crowd with ease, although it was mainly down to people avoiding his bizarre costume.

"Professor Callaghan!" - Tadashi's voice fought against the hubbub. They found him shaking his hands amiably with a former colleague when he glanced up and beamed at them.

"Doctor Kolinsky, may I present to you my students." - He introduced with a glow of delight.

Like Tadashi's own mentor, Dr. Kolinsky had sparse tuffs of greying hair at the temple. The top of his head boasted fewer of that, giving him a look as though time has worn his hair away but decided to leave the job half-finished. Otherwise, he was bubbly looking man.

"Ah, you're the _excellent_ youths Robert has been telling me about. Such an honor." - Dr. K beamed greedily at his friend. - "You should have seen him talking about you - one would thought he was talking about a babe." He relentlessly teased.

"Be quiet Keith." - Their professor murmured indignantly.

"Anyway, I got to hand it to you, you make some pretty big speeches. The_ Modern Robotics _is going to be ranting over you for a month! You know what, this calls for? Celebration!" - The less hairy man threw a hearty arm around Callaghan's shoulder and gave him a good friendly shake. - "Why don't your students come along? Why not, right? We'll have a couple of cold drinks, s'long you kids are old enough," - He gave them a serious nod. - "And maybe find something to fill our bellies with. I'm dying to eat at one of those nice restaurants you showed me last time again, aren't you Robert?"

"That sounds wonderful, Keith." - Callaghan smiled serenely, turning to his students - "What do you say, fellas?"

"HELL YAAA!" - Fred and Go Go's spontaneous shouts resounded the whole place.

"This is so exciting!" - Honey Lemon looked like she could barely refrain from asking Dr. Kolinsky to sign her purse. - "I've heard so much about you and your work in Chemistry, sir. Doctor...I mean. Sir! Prof. Callaghan said you'd be here today. It would be such an honor!" She went on to profess her profound love for his work on chemical engineering and the properties of tungsten carbide.

"I'm sure you'll like my latest research into superhydrophobic materials then." - Dr. Kolinsky brightened even more, if that was possible.

"I'm sure it's a splash!" They laughed like they just shared a private joke - one that only Chemistry and Material Science majors can. "What are we waiting for? Lead the way, Robert!" - He then quickly dove into a fast-talking conversation with the blond chemical whiz.

"Aren't you coming, San?" - Wasabi questioned as he noticed the new student made no attempt to follow her professor and lab mates as they slowly spirited away.

"No. I plan to sign up for some club activities, and there are so many it'll take all afternoon." - She shook her head and smiled after him encouragingly. - "Just go with the others. I'll catch up with you guys later."

"You sure?" - He seemed to hesitate.

"Oh God, **go** already!" - She laughed inquisitively, giving him a shove.

Wasabi nodded and quickly sprinted after the others, who had disappeared behind a back door. As he too passed from sight, the girl let out a smile as she watched the lecture hall emptied.

"Think you got rid of everyone did you?" A smirking voice rang to her right. She turned at full tilt to see Tadashi Hamada, fingering his favorite cap and grinning at her.

"You sound as though I was going to bomb the whole place," She said, and raised a brow when he chuckled.

"Well, if you're going to sign up for some of the college clubs, let me give you a tour." His friendly offer to show her around wasn't the first attempt. He had tried before, partly to compensate his mistake of crashing them both the first time they met. But San had proven to be as elusive as a cat - all but uninterested to accept his offers.

"Thanks, but I think I can find my way around," She gave him a nod and began striding over to the west exit.

To her surprise, he followed her with persistence, which only made her wary for other motives.

"'right then. Can I join you?" At the incredulous look she shot him, he quickly defended. "I'm a member the Karate club myself. I thought it'd be a good idea to show you."

"No, it's a very dumb idea unless you're the captain of the club yourself. And what made you think I'd like to join your thump-and-punch club anyway?"

San said, not altogether very nicely. If Tadashi was surprised by her biting remark, he didn't show it in the slightest. Neither did his smile drop.

"Everyone likes the Karate club," He said with a certain glowing dignity. "We Karate club members pride ourselves for being the most badass club in the entire school. You'll be blown away. I guarantee it."

"I'm sure that's what the other clubs would say too." San pulled out an activity brochure from her bag and immediately began to scan it up and down. "Archery." She replied when he asked which was their first stop.

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An average-height guy with a dimpled smile and chocolate-brown skin greeted them with exuberance. Then again, he wasn't sure he was the best person to ask about height, seeing how his own department was full of walking beanstalks.

"Hey, Tadashi."

"Hey, man." Tadashi took the guy's proffered hand and good-naturedly shook it.

"Came by to check on your old club?" He quickly asked, hope alight.

"Actually, I'm here to introduce a potential member. San, this is Shawn, captain of the Archery club. Shawn, meet San. She just transferred." The robotics prodigy gestured between them.

"Our names sound alike. I like you already," Shawn beamed. "Physics."

"Robotics. Pleased to make your acquaintance," San smiled and they exchanged a friendly handshake.

"Well, San." Shawn said after he showed Tadashi and her to the clubroom. "Our club is always looking for a prospective comrade with a passion for the bow. Tell me, do you any experience shooting?"

"It depends. I have been taught to shoot with a traditional Japanese long bow since I was twelve. I've also been a member in the club of my previous school." She answered evenly.

"That's better than most of our resumes." Shawn commented thoughtfully. "But you'll find we only have the modern bow here in SFIT, so it'll probably take some fine-tuning to get used to."

San then explained to him that although she was less familiar with the modern variation, it shouldn't be a problem. The captain brightened after that and quickly gave her one of the bows. Patiently, he gave her instructions as to how to string it, test it and finally use it in theory. After he made sure she understood, he offered her a trial run to see how she liked it.

Gingerly lifting the bow and gliding into the correct stance, San carefully nocked an arrow against the string. She aimed. Her stare was so intense it would have withered any opponent. Shawn immediately ceased his instructions and both boys stood mesmerized as she concentrated on her mark, holding their breath.

SWOOSH.

The arrow soared through air and pierced the target before the eyes could blink. Shawn and Tadashi let out a sigh of relief, the former sprang to retrieve the arrow.

As it turned out, it didn't hit the bulls-eye, but no one expected it to. Shawn congratulated San on her first try and asked her if she'd like to practice there regularly. When they left the Archery club facility, Shawn had all but shoved the club application form into San's hands, making her promise to return as soon as possible.

.

.

"So you've been shooting arrows since you were... ten?" Tadashi asked her in amusement.

"Twelve. _Someone_ had to," She shrugged, already zooming in on the next club she circled in the brochure which spelt 'Debate'.

"Good thing I'm on your good side." _And not the receiving end of one of your arrows_, he thought as he broke his gaze to look ahead at the buildings.

"I never said you were," San looked up as well, smiling slightly. "And I'm not considering it after you _accidentally_ left out the fact that you once practiced Archery."

Tadashi ran a hand through his hair sheepishly. "I did, but I was so rubbish at it even after a month. I resigned the next term." He stared at her thoughtfully. "Unlike when I joined, Shawn seems eager enough to have you on his team. And I don't blame him."

"Is he? I can't imagine, after that first shot." She looked at him sharply, as if she thought he was rubbing salt in her wound.

"Hey, I may not be good at Kyuudo, but even I recognize a good shot when I see one. Yours is as good as it gets." He assured her.

"You're making fun of me." She glared at him unappreciatively.

Tadashi had to hide his laugh. "I'm not!"

"Whatever. It's done." She concluded dismissively and focused back on her brochure, which was a little more crumbled than Tadashi remembered from her clenched fist.

They slipped into an uneasy silence. Tadashi wondered if the shot was truly as terrible as San claimed. Maybe it was, but only because she was used to a much higher accuracy. San was Japanese, perhaps like many other of her countrymen she simply liked to display their perfectionist attitude.

After all, if she had been shooting since she was twelve…

Tadashi secretly stole a glance at her from the corner of his eyes and watched as she absent-mindedly tugged a strand of hair behind her ear.

San didn't look Japanese, he thought. Sure, her thick black hair and somewhat tan skin eyes spoke of oriental descent. But she looked a little paler than he was used to, maybe a result of spending too much time in labs. And more importantly, her eyes were a piercing blue-grey. Not orient-typical at all.

She also didn't wear her hair with accessories the way he often saw Japanese girls do (according to the magazines he saw in the aisle). It wasn't styled in the latest fashion, not curled or dyed. Her face had very refined features, a distinct chin and elegant, feminine jaws. Pretty. She had no make-up, not even a bit of powder or lip gloss. She wasn't like the rumours described at all. In his mind he couldn't help but wonder if she was-

He didn't get to finish that thought as San suddenly whipped around and caught him quite frankly staring at her. She tilted a brow quizzically. Tadashi was embarrassed, but luckily didn't flinch. He had to find some excuse.

"Er, so why _didn't_ you go with Professor Callaghan?" He asked casually, taking a step to stand beside her.

She blinked at him, as if she thought his saving line was very poor. "Like I said, I need to sign up for-" She replied automatically.

"If you had already decided which club you're going to join, it won't take all afternoon." He pointed out. "You could have gone with the others and come back later."

Her face relaxed into an unreadable look. That surprised him. For with the many reactions he expected she'd take (something like fervent denial or irritation), relaxing wasn't one of them.

When she remained quiet he thought she'd refuse to answer altogether, but San answered, albeit reluctantly. And her answer frankly surprised him too.

"I can't take alcohol."

In return, Tadashi gave her a dumbfounded stare. "Really?"

She shifted uncomfortably. "What else did you expect?"

Something other than that he supposed, judging from this nonplussed feeling."You could have told us," Tadashi resisted the urge to laugh now. "I thought you had trouble fitting in or something."

"Oh, forgive me." San rolled her eyes. "It's only been two weeks. I need Google map my way to the way to the bathroom, for heaven's sake. It'll be _some_ time before we can print 'Best Buddies' on our shirt."

At her outburst Tadashi's laughter spilled over his throat and began to double up. "Oh, sure, laugh at the girl because she can't hold her liquor!" San said sarcastically.

"Is it really so embarrassing?" Tadashi asked, yet to shake off his laughing fit. People who don't drink aren't unheard of.

"When half of your work culture involves it, yes." She muttered.

"You know," Tadashi tried desperately to force his laughter down. "It's not like you couldn't order something without alcohol in it."

She snorted, as if she had experience of exactly this kind of situation before. Maybe she did - "I'll pass. You guys'd have pressured me into it anyway. Trust me, it never ended well. Last time, the last thing I remembered was someone crying on the floor."

Tadashi made a pointed effort not to shudder.

She straightened and sighed, in a way that made Tadashi felt like a child who had asked too many questions. "Look, no offence, okay. I like my space. And I happen to don't like alcohol. That's just it." She looked behind him like something interesting could be found over the Humanities building. "Besides, it looks like all they're going to talk about is Chemistry...and it's my worst subject." She mumbled.

Tadashi found that difficult to believe. No one was bad at Science studies at the freaking Department of Science!

"That's not true, is it? Professor was telling me the other day of just how impressed he was that you caught up so quickly to our syllabus. In only the first week too."

"Well, even if that's true," She shifted her weight to her other leg. "It doesn't mean I stick the periodic table on my bedroom wall."

Tadashi thought vaguely of Honey Lemon. If anyone would glue a table of the elements on his or her bedroom wall, Honey would be the most likely of all. It _was_ her intended major. Perhaps San's thoughts were bordering on the same line.

So the transferred student was a bit of a recluse. But he found that he liked her odd personality, despite not having any apparent reason to.

"How about I take you to a café after we're all done. On my honor, no liquor." He asked warmly, with eyes so open and kind Go Go used to say he could use them to hypnotise people into liking him and his perpetually messy hair.

And really, it so often did. Tadashi was such a likeable 'nice guy' that people usually find it hard to refuse him anything. He had a way of charming even the most irritable of people on the spot. In this world there does not exist a single person who can dislike Tadashi, his friends always say.

San looked at him thoughtfully, seeming to consider offer. Little did she know just how many girls would have thrown themselves on a highway to be asked out on a friendly date by Tadashi Hamada, the guy topped the 'No. 1 Guy in SFIT I'd Like to Date' poll conducted by the _San Fransokyo Institute of Technology's Girl Magazine._

Finally, San grinned at him and outright replied. "Nope. Sorry. Not a chance."

.

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A/N:

My thanks to **MusicLover315, thestraybirds **and** Em** for your lovely reviews. They greatly motivated me to continue this story.

More Tadashi next chapter if you guys could review ;)


	4. Chapter 4: The Different Duo

Chapter 5:

Two's Reputation

"Tadashi, can I speak to you for a moment?"

Tadashi immediately set down what he was doing, in which case was several machine parts and a rotor arm, and made a last ditch effort to look presentable before his professor.

"Of course." - He happily replied, wondering what this was all about - "Am I in trouble?" He jokingly said.

"Course you're not." - Callaghan said, in mild surprise - "Come with me."

He caught his mentor sneaking a quick glance at San's direction. She didn't seem to be paying them any notice, although Tadashi knew she heard their professor coming in. Once Callaghan stated that his business was with him, her attention had fallen away and she went back to her studies.

...

...

Tadashi had been to Prof. Callaghan's office many times before. It wasn't that he often got himself into trouble, but because it was usually where they'd hold long discussions into their latest cut-edge findings. The young man found himself inhaling the distinct smell of potpourri, a mixture of dried leaves and fragrant plants. Apparently, Abigail Callaghan loved it and insisted her father keep a small sachet in his office.

"What is it, sir?" - Tadashi finally asked, after finally settling down. The senior academic looked at his pupil contemplatively for a second before speaking.

"It's about San."

Although the topic itself surprised Tadashi, he was more shocked then to hear his tutor. Unlike what Tadashi expected, the professor's tone didn't sound happy. His voice was not at all the usual proud and calm Tadashi was used to.

"What? Did something happen to her?" - Tadashi immediately inquired, concerned for his friend. He quickly searched his memory for any sign she might be ill that morning, but thought she couldn't be. He just saw her bend an iron rod in anger when the circuits wouldn't connect the way she wanted them to after 2 days.

"Relax. She's fine" - Callaghan gently assured him - "It's...the rumors I'm worried about."

"Rumors?" - The frown deepened on Tadashi's face.

...

...

Last week, Lunch Break, San Fransokyo Institute of Technology.

A new wave of gossip was hitting the population at San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, and this time both staff and student body were readily involving in spreading it. In fact, speculation made its way to departments outside of that where it was first started – Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab. And it started because of Tadashi's newest lab mate.

Three days ago the university board had been blown away from comfy their leather seats when Professor Robert Callaghan made his announcement. His newest student had managed to solve the celebrated Jacobian conjecture on polynomials. It had taken a few days to come to terms with the significance of San's discovery, mostly because professors weren't even aware of her interest in the equation, and a few more for the full blast of gossip to engulf the whole school. Soon, hardly a person in their scientific community was spared of the details. And San's reputation elevated to that of a living saint!

The gang had been so happy for her. They'd all but pulled her into the nearest MacDonald's, where her feat and fame could be easily dissected. Fred loudly advertised the fact that everyone believed San was the second one-in-a-century genius to have graced their department in the last two decades. Tadashi was the first, and when he had come over a year ago he was greeted with the same awed reception.

"Have you guys heard, they're calling you 'The Legendary Duo.'" - Fred's particular comment stuck out.

Tadashi and San simultaneously spluttered, the former personally thought the drink he was having would spill out of his nose.

"The _what_?" - San gawked demandingly at Fred, who seemed extremely pleased with himself.

"Legendary Duo. Some call you the Golden Two, but Duo sounds much better." - Fred nodded, as if he'd just become an expert on embarrassing nicknames. He looked around expectantly - "So, how cool is _that_?"

"Not!" - San exclaimed, horrified.

After Go Go assured her that it wasn't a big deal, and it could probably have been much worse, San was convinced that everyone had overreacted. After all, they were attending an eminent school in the fields of Maths and Science, she argued. Many famous people have preceded them in making great discoveries. Surely olds news was no news at all.

"Yes, but you've only been here for two months." - Someone reminded her - "The others have spent a lifetime in these labs."

For his part, Tadashi thought anyone who could solve such a famous conjecture would have earned their respect.

If nothing else, it had certainly made their department proud; Professor Callaghan was in an especially good mood. They'd all returned to their work in high spirits, basking in the shared glory their 'nerd' department scarcely ever enjoyed.

...

...

Back in Callaghan's office, Tadashi couldn't imagine how the apprehensive look on his teacher could be caused by some harmless tittle-tattle. He was about to ask his sensei again what he meant when the man came up with a bizarre request.

"Tell me what you think about her."

Tadashi began to feel a little uneasy himself now. Was what he say going to affect San somehow? If he did said something that might be taken wrongly, San wasn't even here to defend herself. He had to be careful of what he said to the professor.

What did he think about her? A lot, actually... No. That sounded wrong, did it? He didn't think about San a lot! He just thought a lot of her, that's all. What's more, they were now sharing the same lab. So that gave them plenty observation time.

"I think she's great person." - He answered - "She's smart, and has a strong work ethic."

"She's proven to be a rival even to you, right?" Callghan laughed. So he knew of the 'Legendary Two/ Golden Duo' gossip after all!

Callaghan seemed pleased with Tadashi's answer though. His grey-haired mentor casually leaned back in his chair; his eyes were fixed on Tadashi - "Indeed. My colleagues have done nothing but praise her academic trophies. She's even challenged some of the professors to some very interesting debates. For being so new here, she's a model student."

"But," - He added, with a tone that startled him - "I was hoping you'd notice some other things."

This perhaps relieved Tadashi somewhat. So Professor Callaghan wasn't calling him out to discuss that silly pep-talk about the whole 'Legendary Duo' thing. Apparently this was a whole other rumour entirely. That got him curious - "Such as?"

"Such as her refusing to cooperate with her peers." - Professor Callaghan finished the sentence - "From what I see, she's turned down every offer at partner. Though she seems to be on excellent terms with her friends, she doesn't seem to work well with them." He sighed.

This new topic was something Tadashi had not prepared for. Now that he mentioned it, he did recall a last-minute group assignment they had to do a while back. It was a deeply complicated topic that frankly had no answers, and no one really wanted to do it.

In the end, it was San who took up most of the task herself. She made sure it was delivered beautifully. Later on, he heard Honey mention that San had a written test on that same day, so the project definitely gobbled up much of her revision time. But in the end she didn't receive much credit for what she did at all, since it was considered a group thing. He recalled seeing her looking exhausted when she thought he wasn't looking.

He also saw her alone during their hours of research, so absorbed in her own work that she didn't pay much attention to anything else. He was amazed at how much time she dedicated to research; but when he asked what she was working on, her answer was vague, in a matrix-like pattern. Even though they shared the same lab, he never really knew what was it really she worked on.

"Isn't that okay? I mean, even if what you say is true, professor, her achievements are still better than most."

His mentor sighed. "No, I doubt anyone can deny it. But you well know, Tadashi that there is more to life than hitting the books" - His mentor eyed him carefully - "I've heard a lot of rumours since our latest student arrived here. I dismiss most of them. But a week ago, I overheard something that worries me."

This piece of news garnered Tadashi's attention. He shifted in his chair and leaned forward. Professor Callaghan continued in a steady voice.

"There were a few students who wanted to invite her to a party. Everyone seemed to agree at first, but one of them said: '_Don't. Didn't you know Takagi dislike human society? She'll be a party-pooper, trust me. She doesn't know how to do anything besides excelling at her studies_.'

I'm not saying-" Callaghan interrupted when he saw Tadashi rising to protest. "-that San isn't well liked in her own circle. What I am saying, though, those words had some truth to it. Her under-involvement with peers will some day doom her bright reputation. People who have too much of a virtue are often regarded tentatively. The smallest actions may tilt the popular opinion against their favour. Then, the blessing becomes the curse."

"That's when I noticed that an any active research on San's part has always been kept secret, sometimes even from myself. If I, her mentor, doesn't know, then I can only imagine how lost the others would be. Soon, I'm afraid some of them would start resenting her talent. When that happens, they'll accuse her of looking out only for personal gain."

"That's not what she means, Professor." - Tadashi flew to her defence, feeling the need to defend her honor - "It isn't her intention to put people off."

His mentor quickly assured him - "I'm not doubting her, Tadashi. But that's the kind of image she's giving off right now. That's how she might appear in the future. In the worst case, she'll be completely alienated from everyone."

"That would never happen." - Tadashi firmly declared - "We'll never let them treat her that way."

For the first time since they talked, Professor Callaghan smiled.

"Yes, you and your little gang certainly wouldn't just abandon her in favour of the crowd." - His mentor nodded. Tadashi saw he was truly glad. - "Nonetheless, I'd rather like to see her working more closely with others from now on. I've tried talking to her a few weeks back. She seemed to listen well enough, but apparently didn't take up on my advice. That's where you come in." - Callaghan said, his tone was so serious, it made Tadashi gulp. What possible request could he have?

"Sir?"

"You two are one of the most gifted, hard-working students this school has ever seen. I need you two to work together." - Prof. Callaghan explained, reclining in his chair, alerting Tadashi that whatever decision to come was unavoidable - "I'm giving you two a joint assignment."

...

...

"Huuh?"

It took a few seconds for Tadashi's brain to register this appallingly simple fact. Did-did Professor Callaghan say what he thought he said?

Tadashi laughed hoarsely. It couldn't be true, right?

"That's a good one, Professor. Yeah, good one..."

"Tadashi, I wasn't joking." - His professor replied. His eyes were full of anticipation, but his mouth twitched in amusement.

Tadashi returned the professor's stern gaze with a bewildered one. Hearing this declaration was like swallowing a big clump of clay. Oh Gosh, this is it! His reputation as being 'the one guy no one could ever hate' had finally caught up with him. Granted, this wasn't a first. His professors would often request Tadashi to act a mediator in the past to help new students adjust to their surroundings. His success rate: 101%

But not this time. This time, Tadashi wasn't sure he could do what his professor wanted. He knew no one could live out their entire lives without going over some social speed bumps. He never had to, but the heavens must have decided enough was enough. Now, he was getting his due punishment.

When he recovered, Tadashi tried to protest against this decision. He wanted to convince Callaghan that it wasn't a good idea to choose him, but Callaghan didn't seem to believe him. Callaghan had sought out Tadashi exactly because he so strongly believed him to be the best man for the job. He wouldn't change his mind just because Tadashi had a few objections. To him, they probably sounded like natural modesty.

In the end, Callaghan gave his young student a sympathetic look.

"I understand how you feel, Tadashi. I know you're not used to failure, with how bright you are. But that's exactly why you should try. Aren't you always saying that it's good to challenge yourself?" He laid a trusting hand on Tadashi's shoulder and gave him a warm, encouraging smile. "I won't say it'd be easy. But after some time, maybe you'll find it in you to like each other" - He winked - "A bit."

Tadashi, suddenly tired, thought then of what an optimist his teacher was. If Tadashi could manage to have a decent conversation with San, he would've been grateful enough. Any prospect beyond that seemed as unimaginable as Fred suddenly declaring he got rid of his precious comic collection.

Under his guidance, Tadashi had discovered that Robert I. Callaghan was a deeply caring man. Unlike some, he truly, really cared for his students and their well-being. His request was well-intended, but Tadashi couldn't help but detect a personal side to it as well. The man had great trust in Tadashi. The question was, perhaps, was Tadashi prepared? Was he afraid of letting his mentor down? Or was he simply afraid that he would let himself down?

"Alright." He said, giving in though not feeling entirely confident. "I'll do it."

Callaghan beamed and patted his student's back proudly. "That's the spirit! Go back to your studies now. Thank you for your time."

Tadashi only smiled nervously at his professor, appreciative of his concern. What a day indeed to have this suddenly shoved on him. "One more thing, Professor." - He said - "Does San know?"

"No. But she will. Soon enough." - Callaghan replied.

Tadashi innerly winced. He had this odd foreboding feeling that this piece of news, at least, was not going to be well-received by the other party, if Tadashi's own misgivings were any indication. San may be reserved around him, but if she was displeased, there was only two things Tadashi could conclude from this whole affair. First, no reputation is ever good reputation. Second. He. Was. Doomed!

.

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* * *

**A/N:**

I'd like to personally thank** BabyAngelStar101 **and** thestraybirds **for their wonderful, lively reviews XD They've been a source of encouragement and comfort for me to continue this story.

If you liked this story, don't forget to** vote for this fanfiction **on the poll I recently created (which you can find on my user profile). Reviews and voting are the best way of telling the author you love the story and want to see it continued.


	5. Chapter 5: What trouble's worth

Chapter 6

What trouble's worth

"Oh, hey Tadashi! You're back."

Hiro was typing something on his PC when suddenly his door dragged open and his older brother stumbled in with a look of absolute mental exhaustion. He then proceeded to drag himself towards his bed and wordlessly collapsed on it with an 'umph' sound.

"Whoa, It's nice to see you too, brother." Hiro raised an eyebrow at his brother. His words were sarcastic, but really he was just curious.

Rolling over on his spinning chair, Hiro peaked over the blind that separated their portions of the shared room. The thing was mostly ceremonial, Hiro thought. Cause frankly the brothers could cross each other's territories at any time (although there are some rules in place about going through each other's stuff). Nothing separated them. Nothing stopped them from understanding each other.

When Tadashi made no indication that he was alive, Hiro sat himself on the edge of his brother's bed. Tapping the quilt with his fingers, Hiro cleared his throat.

"So, how _are_ things at your nerd lab?"

After a second, Tadashi muttered something to his pillow that sounded like "Eesh watz fine."

"Oh? Doesn't sound fine to me." Hiro laughed, leaning back so he too was lying crisscrossed on Tadashi's bed. He already had a gut feeling what this was about. "Is it about that new girl again?"

No reply. But that was enough of an answer for Hiro. He could read his brother so well, even without hearing him say anything or seeing his face.

"Honestly, Tadashi. I don't know why you keep bothering yourself with that girl. She's a menace, in my opinion." Hiro said, staring at the ceiling.

Tadashi immediately flipped over and gave Hiro a stern, disproving glance. "Don't say that. That's not true." He reprimanded.

Hiro snorted. "Oh I'm convinced alright. First I thought you finally found someone to be your match. But turns out she already beat you." He said indignantly. He felt every bit of the frustration and dislike his brother should be feeling, what he was probably hiding or too good-natured to ever admit to. Then, without hesitation, Hiro asked. "Is she really worth your time?"

This time, the answer didn't come right away. "Of course, Hiro."

_See, even you are having doubts._ Hiro kept this thought to himself. He didn't want to hurt his brother. His mind was already so heavy. No matter how Hiro wished Tadashi would just give up on this one person, he still seemed hell-bent on winning this girl's favour.

In the end, he resorted to saying. "Mind telling me what happened today?"

Tadashi found himself staring at some old pictures of them and their parents that he had pinned onto the end of his bed. "No, I think I'll leave you out of it."

Hiro perked up incredulously and ruthlessly pounded him. Tadashi let out a yelp as Hiro's weight squished his stomach. "You're not serious, are you? Come on, what did she do _this time_?".

.

**A/N:**

Okay, so I know I said I'd update next month. But what the hell, I'm updating anyway.

I'd like to dedicate this one to **thestraybirds **for your awesome review. It's all the motivation I need to continue XD.


	6. Chapter 6: The First Feud

Previously on Stop Playing the Hero...

Hiro pounded him in disbelief. "You're not _serious_, are you? Come on, what did she do _**this time**_?"

* * *

Chapter 6

The first Feud

**_San Fransokyo Institute of Techonology, Robotics Department, that afternoon according to Tadashi..._**

The following days after Professor Callaghan gave them a joint assignment, San had been especially cold towards Tadashi.

Perhaps that was understatement. It seemed whatever good spark that had graciously existed between them since they met vanished with a loud 'POOF' after Professor Callaghan's announcement to throw them together. Tadashi wasn't there per se, when his mentor told her. But San's face when he saw her later was enough to tell.

In the subsequent days San's mood deteriorated whenever Tadashi wandered into her field of vision (WHAT ON EARTH DID YOU TELL HER PROFESSOR!?). Before, she would have replied pleasantly if he called her. But now, he noticed how she became tense whenever he was within 10 feet in her vicinity.

Their whole week had played out like a broken record. Tadashi would try to get close, and she would retreat further than his attempts can reach her. Her response, when he managed to catch her off guard and approach her was now more or less indifferent. When they sat next to each other, their conversations closed up faster than an anemone.

His calls were directed to the voicemail.

He would ask for meet after lectures to have a discussion about their work. She'd say no.

No excuses. Straightforward.

Why, _why_ were his efforts met with disdain? Was she still mad that he'd crashed-landed into her that first day? That was the only reason Tadashi could think of, and that reason didn't make any sense. San herself said she didn't mind, and anyone mature enough to know Fred's underwear jokes were horrible wouldn't be one to hold a grudge over such a simple incident. He didn't always know what she thought of him, he knew what he thought about _her_.

It had been awkward and even a little painful, seeing their relationship downhilling so fast. Every time she looked at him coldly, every time he caught her eating her packed lunch in the gardens, his heart would grow heavy in a way he'd never experienced before. Sometimes the only thing he could do was to stare at her for the longest moment, wondering what he could do to get her attention. Tadashi thought of what he could do to ease her dislike of him, but he thought he had never felt so helpless.

Had he done something wrong? He just wanted to be her friend, right? Right? He only wanted to help...

That was exactly the problem, as it turned out, when today a furious lab mate confronted him.

"What's it with you?" She stood up from her chair, with enough force to nearly knock it over. "I can do it myself. I don't _need_ you to coach me." She told him, eyes narrowing furiously.

Tadashi had approached her, and after exchanging a few words, Tadashi asked if she needed his help with the assignment that afternoon. The result, he realised, was plainly unfavourable.

A little startled by this outburst, Tadashi tried saying "This is a joint project, isn't-"

"So what? I've already sent all my work to you." She cut in, sounding cross. "So what more do you want?"

_I want you to stop the hardheaded act and work with me for a change._ However, Tadashi wasn't the kinda guy to let his feelings run away with his mouth. Schooling his feature and voice, Tadashi tried to rein in the situation.

"You working plus me working is not what they call teamwork. We're partners. " He reminded her, hoping she would cool down. He prayed that their situation wouldn't go down any more under.

No such chance. San crossed her arms, head tilting and eyes glinting with the heat of a thousand suns. "And by that, you mean meeting each other in the library, seeing each other after school, following each other to lunch? _Babysitting each other _every. waking. moment?" She asked dryly. "I think you've confused working and over-involvement."

"Wait, what?" Tadashi said, with a horrified start. She'd misunderstood it completely. "That's not how it is! _No._ That's a dreadful way to put it."

San had no patience for stutters.

"But it _is_. You've been bothering me non-stop for the last couple of days. And so far you've only shown an amazing capacity for interfering with my life... rivalled only by your skill to antagonise me!"

She let out a long sigh, messaging the bridge of her nose. "Ugh, what was Professor Callaghan thinking?"

Tadashi gave her a withering look. It seemed nothing he said had sunk in at all. In fact, San was as stubborn as ever. "If you're so unhappy, why didn't you say something from the beginning?" He said. San's mood had a contagious effect, as Tadashi's ears became a little red himself.

"My expectations then were different." She curtly said.

"Well, so were mine. Maybe you should listen to your own advice about being obvious." Tadashi said. "Maybe you didn't like what I did. But unlike _you, _I made an effort for you."

Blinking, she told him coolly. "I told you. I'm too busy for silly chit-chats."

Tadashi laughed. "That was just an excuse."

"It's not an excuse!" She protested. "Don't you find it weird hanging out so much with someone you barely knew?"

Tadashi wanted to groan. Was he to explain everything to her? How could she accused him of being blind when she was the one who- "We've known each other for two months now. We're not strangers anymore. Don't say we don't know each other." Tadashi said. "And it's perfectly normal. If you don't get that then you're the weird one."

"But that...ugh...But this assignment is so damn easy." She picked up one of the books lying on the table. "_Applying the 5 basic contributions of AI in Developmental __Robot_-" She didn't even finish reading it before slamming the book down._ "_What an old undergrad topic." San took a step towards him, bristling. "But you go so far to get me to work on something that must have been a piece of cake. Is it because you don't think I can handle something like that on my own? What?"

"No!" Tadashi cut in, startled that she took it the wrong way. "You're the smartest student I know. How can I not know that when we've been working in the same lab for two months?!"

San didn't expect to hear those words it seemed, because her eyes widened and she hesitated. She had a look of second-split confusion, during which her tough countenance faltered. But she recovered her boldness and was again challenging him. "Then _why_?" She demanded.

"Prof. Callaghan wants you to know the value of teamwork. You've been a part of our department for a while now, but you don't let others know what you're doing. You never ask for help or let us assess your work. You're not part of any research group. What will everyone think if you just keep to yourself like that?"

"Who cares what they think? To be honest? I don't really care about them. My research is my own responsibility."

Tadashi was floored. Two months, and San still thought of people at their department as strangers? Didn't he see them talk to each other and laugh at some terrible jokes? Last month, she even stood up to the IT Dept. in defence of their department's use of one the labs. Tadashi was sure he didn't just imagine the look of awe the people gave her then. Why did she do it, when she didn't even consider them close enough to be friends?

"How can you say that? They're your friends."

"No. They're _your_ friends. Not mine." San corrected him. "They may be friendly to me- but only because they think I'm the new Von Neumann. In reality, we're no more than acquaintances."

"What about the others? Fred? Honey Lemon? Go Go? Wasabi? You don't care about them too?" Tadashi asked, his tone all of a sudden dark. His eyes, usually so warm and caring, had a sharp edge to them. He wouldn't forgive anyone - not even San, for insulting or using his friends. Not many are used to seeing this fiercely protective side of him.

Few ever witness Tadashi in anger, but San certainly didn't look intimidated by him at the moment. San was, however, slightly taken aback. "No. I didn't mean them. They're different...They've been nice to me." She said, trying to sound earnest yet somehow still unsure herself. That tint of doubt, though slight was enough for Tadashi to catch out.

He decided not to press it however, instead querying her about her opinion of him, whether she thought he was not nice to her the whole time.

San didn't answer. She was only silent, refusing to look at him.

Tadashi was suddenly very irritated. As if tiny little needles were prickling his whole body. Why could never get a clear answer from her? Why was she so reserved when it came to him? Why was she being so darn stubborn?

Tadashi felt fed up with all the unanswered questions she gave him. He couldn't stand it anymore. He felt something overwhelming welling up his chest, something that felt like frustration. A pang of awful, pent-up anger that most people rarely ever saw.

"You know what" - He bit out angrily - "This is not okay. I've been trying to make this work for weeks. But you... Not only did you do _nothing_, you _shoved_ my efforts back at me. Being rejected hurts! But you act like it didn't. Unbelievable... Those rumours are right. You're a selfish person. Who's too stuck-up to care about other people's feelings!"

It's been two weeks since they were given the assignment and all that time, his efforts had been coldly ignored. Finally, all those times of frustrating failed attempts at getting them to pull themselves together had met a boiling point. As a result, those words just slipped out out Tadashi without him knowing it. He didn't hear them. Instead he felt something like triumph, happy to have finally said his mind.

But that feeling disappeared, like someone had put a stopper on it, when he saw a flash of hurt in San's eyes.

Right as he saw it, the gleam of pain faded. In fact, all emotion was suddenly drained from her face, save one. Her stare became cold and dark.

"That's because you keep acting like I need your help." She said in a grinded, bitter voice. "Has it ever occurred to you that if I did, I would have asked for it? I never needed you to help me, so I never asked. You think the reason I don't is because I'm arrogant? To think that I'm that shallow-minded..."

When Tadashi denied thinking of her as such, she shook her head and pointed out that was precisely what his actions and motives implied. Baffled, Tadashi let her continue. She did, in the same even, low tone.

"...But it wasn't enough for you and Professor Callaghan that I work hard." She suddenly said in a strained voice, as if it hurt her to say it. "You both assumed that, because I don't do things the way _you_ do, I need help."

"We were only trying to do what's best for you-" Tadashi said, still attached to his conviction.

"No." She retorted snappishly, narrowing her eyes. "You _decided_ what's best for me. You don't even know me. For all your good intentions, you've only shown me that you have zero faith in me. You didn't trust me to make friends on my own."

It felt like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over Tadashi's head.

He saw that San wasn't wrong. Although he's not sure she was right either, Tadashi knew that she hit home.

For one, Prof. Callaghan, and most importantly Tadashi himself, hadn't trusted her decision. Tadashi frankly wasn't used to being given the aloof treatment. It scared him. When all his connections seemed secure, that one girl turned up and turned a blind eye to him and all his friendly attempt. He took it personal when he shouldn't have done. So he agreed with the Professor's scheme and interfered with San's choice. Instead of trusting her with the reigns, he and the Professor (very similar-minded people) went and adjusted the sails and completely threw her off track. No wonder she was so angry...

Wondering that, Tadashi felt his stand faltering. But he wasn't about to give up. The hurt of rejection from before still lingered in his heart, even in the light of his new understanding. He frowned. "That doesn't excuse the way you've treated me."

"Well, it's not my fault little Prince Charming can't take a little rejection." She tersely replied.

Through their confrontations, this girl proved impossible to intimidate. San was still angry. Her mouth formed a tight, stubborn line while her eyes furrowed. Tadashi said nothing more.

Tadashi didn't return the sentiment. He wasn't one to take on a grudge easily. But he was feeling very unsure of himself. His emotions and his reason were in conflict. He had a newfound understanding of San's motives and person, but he was also uneasy. Their bitter clash had left him hesitant in her presence, in a way he'd never been before. If anything's sure, it was that he was less certain than before where their relationship stands.

It seemed they had been battling each other forever. The pregnant pause now seemed impossible to break. It was both uncomfortable and painful. But just as she was the one to break so many of Tadashi's rules, San was also the one to break the silence.

"Is that all?" She asked quietly.

He didn't answer. San took a step back and let out a small, bitter laugh. The sound of it was almost rueful.

"Well, isn't this flattering?" She said sarcastically. "So, you got what you wanted. This is me, brought out of my shell. In all my secretive, friendless glory. Does it disappoint you?"

He was going to say something, but then changed his mind. He didn't trust himself to say the right thing at the moment. The situation was already so delicate.

In his confusion San seemed to able to read what was wrong. She shook her head."I'll have a word with Professor Callaghan about our little assignment. Don't worry, I'll make sure you won't have to force yourself into making friends with _me_, ever again."

Then, her cynical expression vanished, and for a moment so did the fervour in her tone. "Sorry to have troubled you for nothing."

Then, she decidedly turned her back around and strode quickly over to the desk to grab her backpack and coat. He could tell that she was still upset. Despite often taking her time to gather all her books and stationery, she literally shoved them all into her bag and disappeared out of the room, leaving Tadashi to stand alone, feeling particularly empty.

.

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* * *

A/N:

I'd just like to say one thing. That is: This chapter took forever to write! It was a real challenge for me and although I'm not quite sure how the final draft turned out, I hope you still like it.

For goodness' sake it's almost Christmas! I think I'm spending it alone this year, cause all my friends are going back to their hometowns T^T... I feel like a recluse =.=


	7. Chapter 7: The oddity that is San

Chapter 8:

The oddity that is San

The morning came in with a fresh breeze. Tadashi yawned as he opened the window slightly to let the light in. It was still early and Hiro was still asleep. He brushed his teeth and washed his face with a splash of water. He got in his old black T-shirt, grabbed his cap and a jacket and made for the cafe.

"Morning, Aunt Cass." He greeted, putting on a cheerful face. She was polishing one of the tables with a piece of rag and smiled when she saw him.

"Good morning, Tadashi. Sleep well?"

"Hiro is as big a snorer as ever." Tadashi snickered, winking at her. Aunt Cass rolled her eyes.

"Well, café's not open for another two hours. You can go outside and get some fresh air. I'm not keeping you boys in on the weekends." She said.

"You sure you don't want my help in the café?"

"I may need your help taking stuff from the attic, Tadashi, but I'm not that old yet. Now scram." Aunt Cass laughed, eyes twinkling.

Tadashi grinned at her and, placing a kiss on his aunt's cheek, went out the door.

.

.

10 minutes later, Tadashi found himself wandering through the big green park near his house. It was the largest public garden in the city; and while it was mostly open hills swept in grass, the flowers coupled and many hidden lanes there meant it was particularly attractive.

The day was bright and sunny and perfect in every way. There were many families taking a stroll. Some elderly couples were walking their dogs, while beneath the trees several art students were laying out their painting kits. In the distance some instruments played. The ice cream parlors were receiving their first customers.

The scene made Tadashi felt very calm. He couldn't keep a smile from his lips as he strode through the glades and hiked up the hill. The exercise and the day's energy kept him distracted from his thoughts.

Almost all of it.

It had been over 4 days since he and San had their quarrel in the lab. He had not seen her since. Not even once.

The reason for that wasn't immediately obvious. The day after, he had expected to at least catch a glimpse of her in the crowded department building. If not, then at lunch. When even that failed, he tried waiting for her in front of the main gate. But he didn't find her once.

At first he was scared that San had been more angry than he'd thought. He had even begin to think that she never wanted to see his face again - so much so that she wouldn't even show up at classes.

But as it turned out, it wasn't the case at all. When he found Prof. Callaghan later yesterday, his mentor told him that San was attending a National Event for Young Medical Engineers in Metro City. She wouldn't be back in the lab til next week. This, to Tadashi, was proof of how little he knew her - someone he had called his teammate; and the extent of the secrecy she had about her academic career.

When the professor expressed his surprise at Tadashi not knowing this, he lied and told him he had forgotten about San's plans.

Since then, the time-out from his joint venture with San had given him time to think and sort out his emotional confusion.

In hindsight of their talk, he saw that neither of them had been right. Tadashi had started out with good intentions in mind, but he couldn't say he had done what was mutually best. San had rejected his offers without pity, but her independence proved not to be taken lightly or personally.

Now, Tadashi only felt the need to see San again and apologise. They had to make up somehow, he thought, though he often wondered if he should take her advice and stop trying to see her. On this point Hiro seemed to heartily agree. After all, what good had come out of it his attempts? Wouldn't he look like an idiot (well, even more of an idiot) if he kept at it? Even after San made it clear that he wasn't wanted?

But, even so... Even if San had declared that she'd spare them both by ending their partnership. Even if they would likely never grow back to the status of good friends again after this, he wanted them to settle the matter once and for all; and at least part ways on the same terms they'd started out with.

Filled with thought, he walked on. But Tadashi was snatched from his reverie when he heard the crying of a small child. Looking around, he found a little boy sobbing under in the shade of a tree. Instinctively, he walked over and asked in a gentle voice.

"Hey there, you okay?"

He glanced up and saw him through a blur of tears and snot. He sniffed once, but didn't answer.

"What's the matter?" Tadashi asked, worried.

When the young boy still wouldn't answer, Tadashi kneeled beside him without hesitation. Patiently, he patted the boy's back. He had small curls in his hair that reminded Tadashi deeply of Hiro as a toddler, especially seeing this boy was about as young.

It was lucky that Tadashi had many years' experience of calming crying young children, courtesy of his brother when he was young. People had called him a natural father. Tadashi guessed it was because of the way Hiro had clung to him when their parents passed away (not at all because of his gentle, patient nature). It was incredible. Even as they grew up Tadashi seemed to know just what to say to make Hiro feel better and stop feeling sad.

In the present though, the boy continued to sob, but more quietly now. They were almost hiccups. Tadashi smiled, this was a good sign.

"I'm Tadashi." He asked gently. "What's your name?"

"Y-Yukio." The child replied, blinking at Tadashi through blurry eyes. He took in a deep breath and sniffed. Tadashi in turn offered him an encouraging smile, glad that he'd calmed down a little.

"There you go. Now, will you tell me what's wrong?" He asked, giving her an encouraging look.

After a while, Yukio muttered. "My balloon…" He lifted a finger and pointed up to the tree. Tadashi raised a brow when he recognized a large, gold balloon perching between the branches of the tree. "S-See?"

Tadashi's heart sunk a little. This was going to be more difficult than he'd thought.

"I see it." He reassured the boy, who began coughing violently.

Tadashi quickly bent down, concerned. "Grandpa…Grandpa…" Cried little Yukio.

"Did your grandpa get you that balloon?" Tadashi asked, wanting to keep him talking. It was a good way for the child to vent his feelings (and for Tadashi to get a grip on the situation).

"…Y-Yeah." The child turned his head and glanced up miserably at Tadashi. "It's…(sniff)…my birthday."

"Oh? A birthday gift?"

"Yes!" The boy cried loudly, destitute. He stumbled and his knees collapsed on the ground. Tadashi felt sorry for the boy, realising that he'd been walking around the tree stump for hours. Trying to find a way to get back his present for some time. He must have tried to climb the tree himself, despite its branches being out of his reach. This must be why he was clearly very exhausted. Yukio' hiccups began to hitch. And Tadashi was afraid he'd cry again.

"Don't cry, Yukio." Tadashi whispered sympathetically. "Since it's your birthday, I'll get your balloon back for you."

Tadashi smiled and stood up. He walked over to the tree stump and began inspecting the branches. The boy only looked on in confusion, perhaps still exhausted.

It was a sycamore tree, Tadashi noted. Leaping up, he caught a branch and lightly swung himself up. His strong arms strained under his weight, but being used to karate training, didn't falter. Beneath him Yukio looked on in wide-eyed wonder, the slightest flicker of hope on his face. He blinked innocently several times before staring at Tadashi in awe.

But Tadashi had to admit he hadn't climbed a tree in years. He used to do it all the time (when he was about 10 or so) but things are different when you're in college.

He inched his way cautiously towards the balloon, which seemed precariously stuck. When he was finally level with it, he reached his hand out for the string. So far, so good.

All of the sudden, the wind rose. An unusually powerful gust shook the tree, whose branches swayed dangerously. Tadashi, holding on for dear life, saw the balloon quivered. With horror, he saw it break from the clutches of the foliage and began to slip away, threating to float upwards and be lost to the never-ending sky.

With a shout, Tadashi reached out for it and caught it just in time. At the same moment, he lost his footing and suddenly, Tadashi found himself freefalling from the tree.

.

.

"Are you okay?" Yukio asked, gasping above Tadashi's head.

"I'm fine." Tadashi sat up, laughing and scratching his head. He looked around for his cap and put it back on his head. "More importantly, look."

He held out the heart-shaped balloon to the young boy, whose eyes went wide at the sight of it. Then, his face erupted in joy.

"Oh You got it you got it you got it!" The boy chanted, jumping up and down in a dance of pure innocent joy. All ten small fingers were wrapped around and tightly clutching the string.

Tadashi, however, couldn't quite share the little boy's victory dance, for pain suddenly shot through his left ankle. He tried to hide the grimace from him, though.

"Thank you, Tadashi. You're my hero!" Oblivious little Yukio continued to smile brightly as he squatted down next to Tadashi, and they exchanged a fist bump. "Thanks again. Gotta go now. Bye!" He began merrily hopping away. A few skips and hops away, he turned back and waved ferociously at Tadashi to show his gratitude. Tadashi waved back.

When Jame's jumping figure was out of sight, Tadashi let out a sigh. With a pained expression, he began looking at his twisted ankle, which throbbed so painfully. He removed his left shoe and socks. When his ankle finally showed he saw it was unnaturally swollen. A great bruise greeted him as he turned over his ankle. As if the stinging cramp he felt wasn't indication enough of its poor state.

Suddenly, in the midst of the stream of moving people sauntering by, he felt the presence of someone unmoving. With one hand messaging his foot, he looked up and nearly choked.

There was the last person he was prepared to see.

San.

.

.

"Are you an idiot?" She said, pacing angrily towards him.

"What?" Tadashi replied distractedly, still shocked by his unfolding episode of misfortune.

San had changed out of the pair of rollerblades she'd been wearing. In an instant, she was kneeling down by his side.

Bewildered and speechless, he stared at her. She was wearing a white T-shirt with something about pizza on it. She had light blue jeans and a plaid cardigan wrapped around her hips. She looked so strange in that casual outfit. Especially after he'd gotten used to seeing her in the lab coat.

"What're you doing here?" He asked, still in a daze.

"Is it weird to go to parks on Saturdays?" She asked, throwing her bag aside.

"Let me look at it." She said, looking at him expectantly.

Tadashi felt like backing away and find some excuse to flee down the road, if not for his wounded ankle. After all, he had spent the last few days thinking that she loathed the sight of him. Now, she was coming to him. And God, they were suddenly closer now than they had been for weeks! He tried to tell her that he was fine, something along the lines of 'not a big deal anyway'. But in truth, it felt quite pathetic. San probably felt it too.

"Oh for heaven-...Stop being so stubborn and let me see it already." She snapped, after which he promptly followed her command.

While she was examining his hideous swollen ankle, Tadashi stared at her. What timing in the universe could this be? That he and San should be at the same place at the same time, that she should witness him making a mess out of himself (again) could be no coincidence. Some power was meddling them and their position within the space time continuum. This was just too comical for Tadashi's convenience. And for some reason the image of Fred suddenly popped into his mind.

"You should have saved yourself the trouble." Her sceptical voice cut into his thoughts, pulling him from his daydreaming back to earth. "No balloon, no matter how pretty is worth climbing a tree and risking your neck over."

"It wasn't just any balloon. It's a gift from Yukio's grandafather." He explained.

But San only made a very displeased expression, as if he'd said something to deeply offend her. "All the same, I would have tried distracting him with something else."

"And just watch the balloon fly away? Do you know how horrible it feels?"

Taking an exasperated breath, San blurted out. "Then at least he'll be taught a lesson about letting go."

Her bitter, almost spiteful tone surprised Tadashi. San must have realised this, for she was looking uneasy. She seemed to regret having said so much in the heat of the moment. Tadashi, on the other hand, wondered what she meant. People don't just say things like that randomly. Often, there was a past behind it.

A long, sudden silence sprung between them. For a while, neither of them was willing to break it. When Tadashi glanced at her, he only saw sunlight dancing on her skin. He couldn't guess what she was thinking.

After some time, San asked quietly. "Can you stand?"

Tadashi nodded and tried to get on his feet. San watched him suspiciously, as if she didn't trust him to do it right. That made him determined to do it, if only to show her he was fine and escape her piercing stare.

He seemed to be able to straighten up. For about two seconds.

After that, his feet gave out beneath him. He thought he'd collapse to the ground, but with one swift movement San was there, supporting him.

"Here now."

San's tone then was soft, that at first Tadashi didn't think it was meant for him. Only after a moment when she wrapped an arm around his shoulder, while her left kept him steady did he realise she was supporting him.

But even more than the odd amount of gentleness that she was showing, Tadashi was overwhelmed by their proximity to each other. He could not remember being so close to a girl before, not even Go Go or Honey Lemon.

"Where do you live?" San craned her neck to see his face.

Startled out of reverie, he answered. "There's a café close by called the Lucky Cat. We have a first-aid kit."

She raised her brows slightly. "Really? You live there?"

"You know the place?" He was equally surprised.

"No. But I'm taking you." She firmly declared.

"What? No!" Tadashi said frantically. What would Aunt Cass say when she saw one of his classmates bring him in like this? She would freak out for sure. Today was Saturday too, the busiest day at the shop.

"I wasn't asking your opinion." She said, rolling her eyes. "Now, which way?"

"You're not-"

"Must I repeat everything I say to you, Hamada?" She shot him an annoyed glare.

Tadashi recognized his defeat. Her words may not be very coaxing, but perhaps it was what he was used to, anyway. "I'll show you the way." He sighed in defeat, wondering if the day would ever come when San couldn't manage to make him surrender.

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* * *

A/N:

I haven't climbed a tree since I was six, so I think pat on the back is in order for our Tadashi in this chapter XD

(*insert clever way of saying 'Please review' here!)


	8. Chapter 8: Aunt Cass' advice

Chapter 9

Aunt Cass 's advice

A scream broke out in the Lucky Cat Cafe.

"OH MY GOODNESS!"

His aunt's reaction was exactly as Tadashi had imagined it. She immediately abandoned whatever she was doing upon seeing him by the door and flew to his side with the speed of an angry mother hen. With an apologetic smile, he tried to reassure her fragile nerves.

"I'm alright, Aunt Cass." He told her.

"Nonsense. Look at you, you knucklehead!" She exclaimed, gasping as she bent down to look at his foot. Grimacing, she quickly pulled out a chair from one of the tables and beckoned the two young people. "You can set him down here." She told San, tone fretful with worry.

San complied without saying a word. With combined effort, they managed to drag Tadashi and lowered him down to the chair. She did it very tenderly so as not to upset his balance, and that coupled with the worried fuss his aunt was in, made Tadashi felt very much like a spoilt child.

"I'm fine. It's just a swollen ankle." He said.

In less than a second Tadashi found his aunt's face inches from his, a reproachful glare seething in her eyes. "Don't you 'just a swollen ankle' me. What on earth were you thinking? Oh no. _Don't_ tell me. I know what you were thinking. Something incomprehensibly rash. That's what."

"I'd argue, m'aam, that he wasn't thinking _at all_." San said, slightly heaving from exertion. Though the distance to and from the park had been relatively short, it sure as hell wasn't as easy as it looked making the journey while carrying someone else.

"Oh yes. You boys give me so much trouble." Aunt Cass instantly concurred, trying not to show how upset she was. She was hurrying back with some ice.

Tadashi felt ashamed for putting his aunt into this state. What's worse, it was right before the opening hour of the cafe, which they would have to postpone now. Even though Saturday mornings were always their busiest time...

Taking the pack of ice from his aunt, Tadashi pressed it against the throbbing pain in his foot. Aunt Cass started tearing the house down to find the First aid kit, when San stopped her and told her by the state of things, it was better to have a doctor over.

Tadashi didn't protest. He could tell that he'd need to walk around in a cast for a week.

After 10 minutes or so, Hiro came down from the stairs. Going over to his brother, he asked what happened in a half-interested, half-teasing voice. Now that both his brother and aunt were there, Tadashi started to explain how he got his ankle. He was careful though, for he was very conscious of San's presence.

Luckily, neither she nor Aunt Cass had any damning comments about the incident. The latter just sighed and forced him to promise to be darn sure he was careful next time.

As Aunt Cass went to fetch the car, Tadashi and San was left alone in a very awkward silence, made more uncomfortable by Hiro's glances between the two of them. On occasion, Tadashi peered questioningly at San and saw her fingering her sleeve nervously. Their eyes didn't meet as the latter pretended to inspect the interior of the cafe.

Though only for a moment, Tadashi wondered if the four days was enough for San to change her opinion... Probably not, but maybe that was enough for them both to cool down. Circumstances aside, she was much less intimidating today than he remembered.

He wanted to speak to her, but Aunt Cass was already back. In a joint effort, they all helped their wounded person to the car. Afterwards, Aunt Cass got behind the wheel and closed the door. Hiro protested at being left out and insisted on going himself, but was forced to give in when Aunt Cass told him to stay and watch over the steaming cherry cake she'd been making for the customers. The ginger-haired woman then turned to thank San for her help and asked her if she could stay with Hiro for a while. At this, Hiro's protests were renewed, though he refrained from making any remarks. Finally, he resorted to pouting and blew at his bangs.

If she noticed Hiro's disgruntled look, San didn't show it. She happily accepted Aunt Cass' request.

"Such a good girl. You didn't tell me you had such a friend." Commented Cass Hamada when they were finally on their way to the clinic.

"Guess not." Her nephew replied. His troubled tone didn't escape detection by her sharp ears.

"What's wrong?" She asked, suddenly concerned. "Don't tell me you two had a fight?"

Tadashi bit his lips and watched as the buildings passed by outside the window. In truth, Tadashi felt anything but a sure answer. Only a few days ago, their relationship had almost crumbled and she had declared it impossible for them to work.

"It's just...uh...sort of." He admitted reluctantly.

Now this surprised Aunt Cass. She had rarely seen her nephew so confused before. He was such a sweet, caring boy who would be the pride of any mother or aunt. Because of his temperament, she couldn't remember the last time she saw him struggle to bond with other people. All of her worries about the social lives of her nephews had always been for Hiro. Where Hiro was shy and socially-awkward (and sometimes withdrawn) in front of the crowd, Tadashi was open, calm and sure of himself.

She never thought that the older brother would be the one needing a morale boost.

"Really? I didn't think there would be anyone who couldn't like you, Tadashi." She said, steering the wheel so they turned at the corner. "It didn't strike me that she had a grudge against you."

"You think so?" Tadashi lifted his head, feeling a meagre amount of hope. "You sure? She wasn't mad? It wasn't just her too busy dragging me back to you?"

"Look, I don't know what happened between you two. But I believe you're both mature enough to sort things out." Aunt Cass said seriously, but also gently. "Don't let good friends pass you by, Tadashi. Or one day you'll find you've lost them for ever. And that girl looks like she'll make a good friend for you."

After that, both of them remained silent for the rest of the way. Tadashi let his aunt's wisdom sink in. Slowly, he began to rethink everything he knew about San.

For starts, he knew that most people in their faculty like her pretty well. Because of her polite person, and her exceedingly prodigious mind, she had all the appearance of a get-along-well person. But was that all there is? He knew she was a deeply private person, rarely sharing her feelings, only speaking out when she deemed she must. So despite being thought of as very approachable, a part of her is always kept to herself, impartial to all outside opinion.

He had a pretty good idea where this solitude might come from. After all, he too had been hailed as a prodigy. People discuss their cleverness and mind-boggling IQs and elevate them to celebrity status. But they rarely talk about the envious sneers, the bullies and the slanders. Worse still, there are those who pretend to be your friend so they can use your intelligence.

Both Hamada brothers had lived through this. Hiro learnt to deal with it in the way San probably did as well - by choosing to rely on nobody but themselves.

Tadashi, however, had never thought of people as simply good or bad. He believed both good qualities and bad qualities co-exist inside a person. There was always a reason for who they are. And so he never holds a grudge, always trying to treat them with dignity. His compassion had surprised even the people who had despised him.

Thus, his 'Universal Nice Guy' title was born.

When he recalled his own experience, Tadashi gradually felt more sympathetic towards San, like he understood her better. It wasn't much, but it gave him a starting point. It was better than mindless assumptions. Still, there was one thing that was puzzling him.

If San really had retreated into secrecy as means of coping, how could she still be so liked and approached by others? In the end, did she really need him at all?

He bit down on his lips in regret. If only he hadn't made so many requests, which San clearly wasn't ready to accept. Perhaps the solution to this complicated equation is to simply say the truth all along.

It was time he learn to accept that San was just going to be different from what he'd been used to. It was clear that his MO wasn't going to work. Given time, he was sure he could make her trust him again. And this time, he would make sure he did it right.

.

.

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* * *

A/N: It seems Tadashi is at last resolved to face his 'nemesis'. But what about San? How did she feel about him now? What were her thoughts? And what happens when Hiro spends time alone with his brother's greatest rival?

Also, I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to review last chapter. **StarButterfly07, sanaa11 **and last but most certainly not least** thestraybirds. **You guys truly motivate me to continue this story.

**Next chapter: "You can. But this is a cherry cake. It needs 9 different ingredients. I doubt we'll find them in time."**


	9. Chapter 9: Hiro, plus Cake

Chapter 9

Hiro, plus Cake

"Why are you staring at me like that?" San frowned. The boy had been surreptitiously looking at her for the last 10 minutes in silence. It was starting to make her feel uncomfortable.

"Oh, sorry, was I staring?" He recovered, and had the decency to lower his gaze slightly. The boy looked sheepish, glancing left and right as if hoping someone would challenge the fact.

This only served to raise San's suspicion. She twitched a brow skeptically. He was smarter than he was pretending to be. This innocent boy's act wasn't going to fool her.

"Soo..." Hiro started. Just when she thought he'd given up on talking, the boy gave her a curious side-way glance as he sat in one of the chairs. "What's the deal with you and Tadashi?"

In her head, San suppressed a deep sigh. It didn't bother her so much of how frank Hiro was being. But intuition was already warning her of where this talk was leading to. When it seems conversation with Tadashi Hamada's younger brother won't be any easier than with the elder one, she began to wonder if interrogation was a family hobby.

"We're lab mates." came her off-hand reply. This wasn't what Hiro really wanted to ask, she knew, but he should really think twice if he thought she'd simply pander to his expectations.

"Just lab mates?" Hiro peered up at her, not bothering to cover up his suspicious tone.

"What else did you expect?" Classmates? A distant acquaintance? A hardheaded rival? A friend with a mutually painful relationship?

"More?" The boy with the messy hair shrugged.

Upon closer inspection, San saw that the Hamada brothers were remarkably similar. Yes, take away that spiky hair and the baby teeth and the rounder face, Hiro would be a mini, ultra-shrunk version of his older brother. But other things were missing. The look of virtue and the perpetual smile she was used to seeing in Tadashi was missing in Hiro.

This boy, she noticed immediately was much more devilish. A glint in his eyes shows just how much he relishes in tricks and smarts and outsmarting other people. If Tadashi was a god of goodness, Hiro would be a little devil monkey.

She could already guess that Tadashi had told something about their falling out with his brother, never anticipating that they would be meeting so soon. But fate wasn't in the mood for unlikely things that day.

"Well, I guess I'd call him a friend." She said, after taking a moment to consider it, faintly hoping that would please the boy.

Hiro almost snorted. "I'd call it_ one-sided_, since only one of you's making all the effort."

This brought a smile to her lips. So, he was finally confronting her. No more round-a-bout questions. Just being frank about his feelings. And he was being quite clever about it, too!

"I guess not, if he told you that much." She said, unmoved by his growing attitude, tracing his expression with a light smirk.

Hiro didn't think she'd admit to it so easily. Why did she look like so casual about this? She should be looking uncomfortable, she should be avoiding his gaze, she should be saying with regret. Remorse. Shame. Anything but this mild indifference!

This caused Hiro's temper to spike. Did this girl have a conscience? It's like talking to a brick! Here he was, trying to get her worked up. And it backfired. Tadashi was right. San made a comeback difficult.

Screw it. He just wanted to do give her a piece of his mind He didn't care about repercussions. This was on Tadashi's behalf!

"I just - I just don't get you. You and Tadashi. Why'd you have to treat him that way? Tadashi's just trying to be nice. _Nice! _**Something you clearly can't be bothered with, **seeing stepped on him like that."

"Do you know how that made him feel? Of course you don't! But I do! But I bet you don't care how he feels now, do you?" Before he knew it, Hiro was exploding in her face. "I don't know why he bothers. You think you can do everything by yourself? You think it's a sign of strength? Well let me tell you sister. It's a sign of **weakness**_._"

Hiro stopped and realised he was gasping for breath, his chest was heaving like he'd been racing. His throat became hoarse with all that shouting, which he admitted sounded way better aloud than his mind.

Although a small part of him whispered for him to apologise, Hiro was determined not to. He was only speaking the truth. He was right.

She was the one who had wronged his brother.

He was right.

Even after all that shouting Hiro found that there was still so much resentment in him for this one person. So what if he'd hurt her feelings? At least, at least she would know what Tadashi felt.

.

.

His child, brown eyes was ablaze in anger as they hunted for a reaction on her face. As time went on and San's face was as unchanging as ever, his confidence began to falter. Doubt sprung to his mind. Had he said too much? Frantically, he began to question himself.

Contrary to his expectations, San didn't yell back. She didn't raise her voice. She didn't try to defend herself. She only appeared as stoic as ever, towering over him with her long shadow. Her gaze was hardened - but not angry, not even furious. It would've made him flinch had he not felt so furiously stubborn.

"So what do you want me to do?" She asked him, after a long, pressing silence.

She didn't look mad. Hiro even thought she looked even a little empathetic towards him, but he quickly discarded the thought.

Hiro's mind became blank. Everything now confused him. What should he do? His body was already winding down. His words stumbled over each other as they came out. He hesitated before saying. "Try...Try to get along with him, would you?"

She snorted. "Like everyone else?"

"Yeah, pretty much." He shrugged. So long as Tadashi was happy, nothing else mattered. This time San let out a sigh.

"Does it really bother him that much that one person just won't?" She asked.

Hiro didn't say anything. His eyes wouldn't meet hers. San already knew the answer. Finally, she smiled. "I'm not doing you any favours, Hiro Hamada." She said, perfectly serious. "Unlike _someone_ we know, I don't have a problem with it."

Hiro stared at her. He kind of thought she would say that.

"Fine, you're not my problem anyway." He said while turning away. He picked up a game console and started playing, completely ignoring San's presence in the room.

Long minutes passed by with neither of them saying anything to each other again. The only sound within the cafe before then was the quiet murmuring of the ceiling fan. The girl was also silent and concentrating, though for a different reason.

"Something's burning." Her body was tense.

"Yeah, sure." Hiro replied. He'd decided that he should just ignore her. She'd given them enough trouble as it were.

San seemed equally unimpressed with Hiro's dismissive attitude._ Kids... _She rolled her eyes..._The fire alarm hasn't bleated yet, so that means..._

She said. "You don't have anything cooking, do you?"

"Course not, why would I...- HEY!"

San had disappeared from her chair and was striding bursted through the café's back kitchen. Hiro quickly up shot up from his seat frantically. Aunt Cass would roast him if she found out a stranger had been in her kitchen. When he entered though his nose was bombarded with a scorching scent. San had pried open the oven and reached for the off-dials.

The stove seemed to let out a long-held breath. A thin sheet of smoke that obscured Hiro's vision. His hands flew to cover his mouth and nose, his nostrils and lungs burning with each sharp intake of air.

"Open the windows. NOW!" She ordered, her hand reaching for a pair of baking gloves. "Holy crag, it **stinks**!"

Hiro heeded her command and ran to the windows. Once open, it let in a fresh breeze. The horrible charred smell slowly began to fade away, and the stifling heat in the room dissolved.

Meanwhile, San pulled out the smouldering baking tray and set it near the window for examination. Both stared at it, wide-eyed and shocked.

The outer layer of the cake had an ugly black brownish colour, with mottled spots. On close inspection, they saw that the surface of the cake had cracked open in the middle, forming a somewhat pitifully twisted smile.

"I -...er..erm..., okay" Hiro was the first to regain his speech. He poked at it nervously, as if the cake might come alive any second and exact some terrifying revenge. "It's not as bad as it looks...is it?"

"...No, and I guess Tadashi didn't twist his ankle chasing a balloon." San replied, smiling wryly at the boy.

"Hang on. We can fix this. I've seen Aunt Cass do it before!" Hiro quickly defended, staring up at her desperately. "When I was six, she decided she wanted to bake me a birthday cake herself. Her first try was a _disaster_, but she cut the burned part away. Granted, it did look like black pudding... but point is, it's edible."

"I don't know about you, but I doubt your aunt's guests will pay to eat black cake." San coolly replied. "Besides, that method only works for _slight_ burns. I think we both agree if this cake could talk, it would've fourth degree burns."

Hiro's shoulders sagged. "Oh, I am so _dead_." Hiro fell back against the fridge, eyes wide with fear. "This is supposed to be our Saturday Dessert Special. If Aunt Cass finds out about this, I'm _dead!_"

While Hiro began to pace around and lament the demise of the cake and (more importantly) his subsequent demise at the hands of a furious Cass Hamada, San was looking better composed. The fact that Hiro was still ranting uncontrollably next to her was painfully obvious, and San wrestled with herself not to be distracted.

Of course, she found being in the presence of yet another distraught Hamada in need of her help highly unappetising. But at least she was a better picture than Hiro right now, who was biting his nails and started pulling at his hair.

Hiro turned to her with a pleading expression.

"We have to do something. Can we make another one?"

San eyed him. "Show me your ingredients."

.

.

After the edible food contents of the cupboards and drawers and fridge in the kitchen had been emptied out and shoved back in by two pairs of hands, they came to one inevitable conclusion.

San clicked her tongue. "We don't have enough ingredients to bake another one."

"I can run to the store and buy them." Hiro asked desperately.

"Yea-... no. There are **9** missing ingredients. By the time you found them all, guests will have come in through that door and so will your aunt. Besides," San explained, pointing at the remains of the cake. Hiro blanched visibly. "this isn't just your typical cookie or muffin. This is a cherry cake. Takes a buttload of trouble to make one."

Hiro glanced at the clock. San was right. The cafe would be open to customers in another hour. Aunt Cass would've returned by then, expecting her cherry cake to be ready to serve her guests. And when she found out it had been hoplessly destroyed...

"AAA, She's going to eat me alive! I'll be eating nothing but kale for a month!" Hiro ranted hysterically. "I can't live like that! I'm packing my things."

"And go where?" San asked, mildly surprised.

"Japan. We have a cousin there. No wait, she destroyed my laptop in third grade." Hiro's hands flew to his head again. "Well, can't be any worse than staying here." He blurted out in an incoherent string. He began shuffling around the kitchen, mumbling the list of things he was going to take with him on the supposed life-time excursion to Japan.

San's hands suddenly grabbed Hiro's shoulder, her grip as unbreakable as a hawk's. Hiro was made to stop in his tracks. And he found his face suddenly found hers. His confused and shocked eyes searched hers for an explanation.

"Calm down. We'll make another batch."

Hiro blinked. "What? You're not making any _sense_. I thought you said we can't bake one in time!"

He thought he caught mischievous twinkle in San's eyes. "Pay attention, will you? I said _**make**_, not bake." She said cryptically "Come on. Here's the plan."

She bent down and whispered something in his ears. Hiro listened with rapt attention, his eyes widening in surprise, which then narrowed into doubt.

"Impossible! I've never tried making it before. How can we pull off something like that in an hour?" He exclaimed, sinking back into despair.

"I'll show you. It's not difficult once you get the hang of it." San said wisely. "Do you know the Japanese saying 打たないショットは、100％外れる _Utanai shotto wa, hyaku-pāsento hazureru_?" She asked gently. Hiro shook his head. "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

"Isn't that just, like, a Wayne Gretsky quote?" Hiro's brow shot up.

Ignoring his comment, San briskly went on (though he thought he saw her brows twitch). "Have you heard of the proverb ふくすいぼんにかえらず _Fukusui bon ni kaerazu_? It means spilt water will not return to the tray."

"Like don't cry over spilt milk?"

"Precisely." San smiled, and nodded.

Her smile was small, but it brimmed with confidence. Hiro didn't really understand what she was saying, but his gut told him he did. He stared deeply again into San's eyes. They were resolute and firm. "Hey, I'll help you."

"You will?" Hiro asked, eyes widening in disbelief.

San nodded.

Hiro remembered what he'd said to her a moment ago, the horrible things he'd accused her of, and looking at her eyes again right now, Hiro couldn't help but feel a little shame. Was she really going to help him? Isn't it possible she's only doing this so she could rat him out later to Aunt Cass and make his life worse?

Suddenly, San flicked his forehead lightly with her finger. "Hey, stop being so serious. I'm not hatching a convoluted plan. You have to trust me. Okay?" Smiling teasingly, she said.

She was Tadashi's rival, or so he was told again and again. If so, then regardless of what had transpired, she had to have an ability to work miracles that all but justify the title. She may be confrontational, he realised, but she was also honest and unafraid. If there was one person here who would succeed at her plan, it would be San.

Hiro began to grow more confident in this plan. In him lit up bright spark that erased all doubt and distress. Suddenly, he felt if it was San who said it, even tall tales must be true.

_Her presence... is kind of like Tadashi_, Hiro thought. Her calm energy and calculating mind was contagious. Hiro took a deep breath and smirked.

"Alright, let's do this!"

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.

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* * *

**A/N:**

**Wait, you mean to tell me it's been four months, FOUR MONTHS since the last update? But I've been stranded on a lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific and starving for four months before I was rescued.**

**Hiro is back in this chapter. He's such a devil monkey, but we all love him. I feel a little sorry for San in this chapter though - this is twice in a row that she got a Hamada blew up in her face. _Might be a talent _is what I think she'd have thought.**

**I hope my readers haven't forgotten this story already. For all the love I have for it, it can be really tough to get past that writer's block. Enjoy!**


	10. Chapter 10: Mochi (END OF 1ST ARC)

Chapter 10

Mochi

"Well, I'm glad that's over." Aunt Cass sighed, referring to the doctor's visit as she shut close the car door and dropped the keys into her purse. "You feeling up and pumped yet, Tadashi?"

The boy smiled to her and to himself, giving her a quick nod. It was a universally known fact that there was just no containing Cassidy Hamada, once she's properly excited. Even Tadashi with his abundant experience of living with his aunt, felt swept away as her zeal. "Sure am, Aunt Cass."

"YEAH! That's my boy! That's the spirit!" She made a fist pump sign in the air and then patted Tadashi heavily in the back, eagerly pushing him towards the cafe entrance. "Now, let's go in, greet your brother and make friends with that pretty saviour of yours."

Tadashi blushed. "Aunt Cass, slow down! Whoa," He yelped after almost doubling over. "I'm on crutches, remember?"

"Oh right! Sorry about that, sweetie. But it's just," Aunt Cass squealed, trembling with anticipation. "Argh, I'm just so excited!"

"It'll be fine, Aunt Cass. It's not like there's a mob in front of the house."

It is said that you should watch what you say, and even more so, watch you wish for. Tadashi certainly wasn't wishing for a mob when he let out a joke to ease his aunt's over-excitement. But his innocent banter proved prophetic, because that was exactly the sight that greeted the two Hamadas once they've round the corner past the parking spot.

Well, to say there was a mob may not be accurate, though not an understatement. There was just a really long line of people waiting to get in the cafe. The line just happened to be so long that its tail of people had spilled out of the door of the Lucky Cat and meander snake-like down the streets.

Both of them had violently stopped in their tracks in front of their own cafe, speechless and too much in awe. "Is that, really what I think it is?" Aunt Cass said, voice light and whispering. It was as if she thought that this was a dream, and a loud voice could easily break the spell.

"If so, I think I'm hallucinating too." Tadashi said, much in the same amazement and wonder.

They stared at the cafe's cramped entrance, and then at each other for a brief moment. After that, their stupor ended. And both were fighting their way to get inside. "X'cuse me. Coming through! Lady with a veteran, crossing over."

"I'm not a veteran." Shouted Tadashi right behind her. He was leaning delicately on his feet and doing his best not to bump into people, or worse - get knocked over in a mini-stampede.

"Don't be... so... modest, Tadashi." Aunt Cass grunted as she attempted to squeeze past a large man. He caught sight of her looking back briefly in amusement, while pushing their way forward.

After they finally broke through, they found that the sight that greeted them inside the cafe was no less stunning than the one outside. Inside was lively with guests. Every single seat was cramped with people. Everyone was chatting elevatedly over something, and seemed to be particularly absorbed about something on a small dish in front of them. Some even had their phones out and was repeatedly taking pictures.

Before he could catch a glimpse of the thing they were fawning over, the startled voice of his aunt quickly snapped him back.

"Hiro? What are you doing?" She gasped. "Is that my kitchen?"

"Sure is. Sorry, one hot batch of Special Mochi Treat, coming through."

Hiro was wearing the cafe's official uniform, with a white smiling cat logo. Balancing on his arms were four plates, each containing two small, roundish cake with a smooth, powdery surface. Each of them were a different colour and flavour.

Hiro himself seemed to be in a hurry. As soon as he set down the plates in front of the guests, he quickly retreated back to the kitchen, slipping through even Aunt Cass' hands and Tadashi's dumbfounded stare.

Concerned and confused, both Aunt Cass and Tadashi dove into the kitchen after Hiro. And what they saw, they couldn't believe it, surprised them even more.

There, in their kitchen, laboriously pounding down on the biggest mortar they'd ever seen, was San. She had a deep look of concentration on her face - an expression that Tadashi had seen her wear when she is completely focussed on her task, so much that she was oblivious to any and everything else.

She was grinding the strange-looking pestle down with such ferocity and such power and speed - it was frightening to think what she could do if it were him on the other end of that stick - he'd probably be pounded flat to the bones. She strikes so fast that each time became a sort of blur. Drops of sweat dotted her forehead and arms. Tadashi even wondered if she was performing some kind of stunt.

But, as he later learnt, San wasn't actually doing some kind of stunt. She was preparing the ingredients for a very particular dessert. He would also learn, very shortly after, that she was the reason why so many people had gathered to eat at the Lucky Cat Cafe today. Together with Hiro, San had masterminded an ingenious plan that not only saved the cafe's reputation, but possibly changing it forever.

.

.

That night, San stayed over at the Hamada's house for dinner with the entire household to celebrate the unforeseen success of their cafe. Of course, she had been pleasantly invited. And by invited, it is to be understood that she was coerced into staying by an unstoppable Aunt Cass.

"Really, now. That was one of the most super-delicious thing I've tasted in years." Aunt Cass said dreamily, her face the epitome of delight as she took another bite of mochi. "Who taught you to make it?"

"My grandfather did," San replied, hands curled around her cup of green tea. "He opened a confectionary shop after he retired. His recipe is a regional pride. But I took the liberty of adding a few other flavours to the original formula."

"So you're saying you invented all these flavours?" Aunt Cass grabbed and was poring over one of the makeshift flyers that San had printed as the day's menu. There are in total seven different types of mochi which she listed, green tea, strawberry, chestnut cream, mango yogurt, chocolate banana, pistachio and red bean. All looked glorious!

"Not invented, Mrs. Hamada. I only innovated." San said.

"Shush! Call me Aunt Cass. That's an order." Aunt Cass sharply ordered, brandishing a spoon like some sort pointer.

"Yes, m'aam." San complied.

Tadashi stole a glance in San's direction. She was looking rather calm and relaxed, quietly and leisurely taking sips from her tea cup every now and then. A wave of relief washed over him as he registered her ease at talking to his aunt. He didn't know if he could stand having her being awkward with his family.

"No one's allowed to call Aunt Cass 'Mrs. Hamada' except for the mailman." Upon Hiro whispering, she let out a muted laugh that could almost be a small giggle.

"Thank you... Aunt Cass," She said, a bit tentatively, as if testing out the effects. "for inviting to me dinner. It's been wonderful sharing a meal with you." San cleared her voice, sat a little straighter in her seat, and glanced appreciatively at Hiro and Tadashi's aunt to convey her sincerity.

She kindly didn't mention how Aunt Cass practically blockaded the front door in an attempt to get her to share a meal with them.

"My, isn't she the politest thing ever?" Aunt Cass exploded, swinging an arm around San's shoulder to embrace her. The girl was so shocked by the gesture that even when Aunt Cass had let go, she still had a wide-eyed look. (Aunt Cass didn't notice)

"Say, do you live in the area? It was quite the coincidence that you and Tadashi met in the park this morning. Not that I'm not grateful for that," Aunt Cass asked, her face lit up in curiosity.

"Two tram stops down the Sakura Avenue." San replied pleasantly.

"My, that _is_ close. We're practically neighbours, aren't we?"

"Yes, it would seem so. This is a good neighbourhood. "

Aunt Cass then proceeded to bombard San with questions like how long had she known how to cook, what other things could she make, was her family a long line of professional chefs, etc. San, to her credit, was very pleasant and accommodating in every answer, though Tadashi couldn't help but detect a hint of aloofness every now and then.

"You must come over to our cafe some time." Aunt Cass leaned forward, as if she couldn't keep her enthusiasm to herself. "Don't worry, it's just for visiting exchange purposes. You've got to tell us more of your recipes."

"If you're okay with sharing them." Tadashi quickly added.

"Oh no. I don't mind. I often cook for myself anyway. It'll be much more fun to have someone to cook with and share the food anyway." San replied, looking quite touched by Aunt Cass' eagerness.

"So you'll come again?" She asked, suddenly all-serious. San smiled and nodded.

"WOO! Aren't you excited Mochi?" Aunt Cass had darted out of her chair and swept up Mochi and started dancing with the cat in her arms. The bobtail didn't look too comfortable with that, but it seemed there was no escaping Cassidy Hamada's vice-like grip either.

.

.

"Your family is very funny." San said at last, glancing at Tadashi, a small yet amused smile on her lips. "In a good way of course."

They were standing alone under the open night sky, waiting for a tram to pick one of them up. Tadashi, ever so chivalrous, insisted on taking her to the stop. For some reason Aunt Cass had hotly insisted that he did too.

Needless to say, San had violently, _adamantly_ protested. And not without reason. She'd said that Tadashi needed to let his tender ankle rest for a while, and that she could walk herself back since home wasn't that far off either.

Yet somehow, despite her sound reasons they still ended up here. San hadn't spoken a word to him since they left the house. Only until they had reached the tram stop that she seemed willing to strike a conversation.

"Hmm, they've got a lot of energy, don't they?" Tadashi gave his own comment after a moment of thought.

"Tell me about it. I'm spent, just keeping up with your aunt and little brother." San sighed, but he knew she meant that in a good way too.

"But not at all by all that mochi-pounding?" Tadashi asked, looking at her ridiculously.

She carelessly shrugged. "I've had worse."

It was ironic in a sense, but Tadashi could get what she's talking about. Even he often found himself amazed by the endurance of his bubbly aunt.

"San?" As she turned her eyes toward him, he was grateful that he could see them clearly. No longer were they distant and full of bitter feelings. He couldn't really describe it but... she seemed happier than the last time he saw her. "I'm really glad I got to meet you today. First you saved me, then you saved Hiro, then you saved the whole cafe. I owe you."

A flicker of amusement danced in her eyes. "There you go, exaggerating again, Hamada." She let out a soft laugh. "I didn't '_save_' you so much as hauled your heavy ass back. And don't forget, it was your mistake that you fell off that tree."

"Ouch, do you have to rub that in?"

"In fact I do." She said, a tad smugly. "I don't think you realise how silly that whole fiasco was."

Tadashi didn't think it was that silly, getting a balloon for a child because you could. But he could certainly see why San, this cool and rational person (and now a maker of miracles) would see it that way.

"Hey... umm," He tried starting again. It was harder to find the right words. Hell, a lot harder than he'd thought, but he remembered Aunt Cass' advice and finally took up the courage to say what needed to be said. "I'm sorry, about the way I've acting. It wasn't right. I did stuff on my own without thinking, and I gave you a hard time. Sorry about that."

San didn't say anything. The smirking gleam in her eyes disappeared just now, but there was this deep and clear look that encouraged him to go on. "If you want to bring this up to Professor Callaghan… then... you know, I won't stop you. Whatever you want to do from now on, I'll support you, alright?"

Tadashi thought she looked mildly surprised.

"Even letting me do my own project?" she asked.

"Yeah, even that." He smiled, and said without hesitance.

Once again, San fell silent. She only stared into the night sky in deep thought. Tadashi couldn't help but look up too. It was a clear night, with very few clouds. The stars were blinking, and the moon just one clear, silver orb brimming with light and soothingness. In a way, it looked just like a mochi...

"You've changed." She murmured, couldn't help but feeling slightly amazed.

"I guess I did."

Her head suddenly bowed, as if weighed down by many feelings.

"I'm sorry, too. I was being...well, too stubborn. And I did some horrible things to you too. I can see that what you did, you did it because you cared a lot. I'm sorry."

After a moment, she added.

"You know, I really don't like relying on people. There are so many let downs that I-" San paused suddenly, slightly reluctant to continue. "At least, that's it for me. I'm not good at getting people to like me. Unlike you."

"It's nothing to do with talent. 99% of people are very friendly," said Tadashi. "But if their flaws if all you ever remember, then you'll be afraid of them forever. Expect the best of people, not the worst."

San fell silent. Between her deep thoughts, her eyes caught a hint 0f regret. "Hiro, and now you. Every one seems to be giving me lectures lately." She sighed.

Tadashi was curious - what exactly did Hiro say? But he refrained from asking San, it didn't seem right at the moment. Despite appearances, San was struggling with forming relationships, Tadashi thought with startling realisation. Her down-to-earth view of people was hindering her ability to connect. But because she loves and values her independence so much, it's unlikely that she thought this was a problem.

So in a way, he and the Professor had been right, although their methods were horribly unsuited to San. Perhaps he could gently persuade her and soften her with a more subtle approach. And then he would let her be since she was smart (and reasonable) enough to figure out the rest.

"Geez, I really envy you," San smiled faintly, saying something he didn't expect her to say. "You think so casually. And you never seem to be in doubt of your path. No wonder you have many friends."

"They're your friends too, remember?"

Her expressions softened.

"I bet you get that a lot, do you?"

"Of what?"

"Being told you're a nice guy."

He didn't really know how to answer that.

"Sometimes..." He shrugged.

"Oh don't be so modest, Hamada." San interrupted, punching him in the shoulder as if she felt the need to admonish him. "Or should I call you_ SFIT Magazine's_ Number One Guy I Want To Date?"

Tadashi nearly choked in his throat. "What? How'd you even know that?" It was supposed to be a secret. How embarrassing it was that San would find out!

"I've got my means." She only smirked, sounding intentionally cryptic. "Just because I'm cooped up in the lab all the time doesn't mean I don't have eyes and ears here and there."

Tadashi wondered if her 'eyes and ears' in the school came in the form of Fred, like the rest of the gang. He hoped not, since even Tadashi was a little cautious of the extent of Fred's 'knowledge' sometimes.

"You've got quite the fanbase..." San chuckled, trying not to snicker. She looked even more amused now that she got hold of a dark secret.

Tadashi only smiled sheepishly.

"Thanks. I owe you three for today."

"Since you insist, I'll be keeping count." San said with a sense of mischief. Tadashi wondered how this girl could switch from sweet to satire in a millisecond's worth of time.

However, for some reason, he was filled with gratitude.

They said nothing afterwards, only letting their gaze wander down the road. Tadashi could see the light from the next tram approaching. This was a signal that his time with San was ending soon.

Still, neither of them said anything as the tram drew nearer. But Tadashi didn't mind it. Not at all. He was learning the value of silence and quiet understanding.

As the tram skidded to a stop, San climbed on board and stopping half way to turn back to look to him. He was surprised to see a look of uncertainty in her eyes.

"Say, if you...umm...if you don't mind, and...er, if you still want to," She said, stuttering for the first time since they'd met. Finding her voice though, she went on in a much surer tone. "I'd like us to remain partners. Just for the time being. Is that okay?"

Tadashi was surprised. Heck, this day was nothing but surprises, it seems. But not once in a thousand years would Tadashi expect to hear those words from San. At the same time he was delighted to hear it.

"Sure."

She smiled. It wasn't a sad smile, an amused smile or even a sarcastic one. It was a true, genuine smile. The first he'd seen. It is true that a smile on a person can make them look refreshing. But on San, it is quite different. She looked like an entirely different person. It brought out something in her eyes, perhaps their silver-bluish tint.

In fact, there was this soft glow of happiness and relief that coated them both. Their hearts really do feel light.

The tram started to move.

"See you tomorrow?" Tadashi said. He wasn't sure if he'd said it loudly enough, since the tram bell was tolling.

But San seemed to have heard anyway. She bit her lip (as if to contain her smile) and gave him a nod, before disappearing inside the warmer interior of the tram.

As the tram turned around the next corner, Tadashi still stood there - still on crutches - couldn't quite believing how well things had turned out.

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.

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* * *

**A/N**: Thus, I would like to conclude what I consider the First Arc of the story, whose main focus is on Tadashi's identity as the 'get-along guy'.

In the next chapter we will have a between-arc short story before transitioning to the Second Arc. From this point on, the story would start to contain some canon events and follow the movie more closely. Watch this space!


	11. Chapter 11: Lab Adventures (part I)

Chapter 11

Lab Adventures

or the Making of Baymax

-part I-

"Adjust the camera. It's skewed."

His lab mate's comment drew his attention, and as per her advice, he reached his hands to adjust Baymax's head. "Ah, thanks."

San was leaning against a desk at the far side of the room, holding his clipboard and checklist for him and tapping his pen in thought. The sun behind her back partially shadowed her face, but her eyes were as sharp as ever.

"Are you sure this is necessary? Logging all your tests? You know it's probably gonna blow up in your face, right?" She hummed sceptically.

Tadashi smiled. As usual, she had no qualms about speaking her mind. Although she put it very bluntly (she was ingenious and observant enough to warrant some serious listening), Tadashi could appreciate her honesty. With her as a lab mate, Tadashi wouldn't have to worry about obvious slip-ups or errors in observation.

"Absolutely. Baymax, he's gonna change the world. I can feel it. And when that happens I'm gonna be famous." He said as-a-matter-of-factly, which piqued San's curiosity because she's never heard him even remotely arrogant before. "_Everyone_ would want to find out the story behind his magnificent creation." He finished with all the pride and confidence of a new parent.

"By that you mean a penniless grad student in some dingy lab?" She tilted her head, chuckling audibly, although it wasn't a sound of derision.

"Yes." He answered, before it hit him that there was something rather wrong with the playful comment. "We're sharing the same dingy lab, by the way." He pointed out, knowing she didn't mean anything by it. Their lab had been neat, bright and spotless, as she insisted.

"...which is something we're so grateful for, because by all means I've improved it." She briskly continued, got up and passed him his clipboard. She put her hands in her coat pockets and strode away to her own corner in the lab. "Just do what you usually do and keep the noise to a minimum. I need my full concentration on this project and that means, _no disturbances._"

It's already been months since San transferred to their university and they started sharing the lab. With her reliable presence in the building, no one could remember a time when she wasn't part of the department. For one, she had been authoritative, and that had nothing to do with her being a member of the student council. She had an obsession with order and discipline, and went to great lengths to instil those qualities in her otherwise unruly faculty members. It seemed on the surface that everyone does their own thing and San couldn't be less involved, but when fight starts over who get to use the latest arm chassis, titanium snap circuit or end-effector, that's when everyone is reminded of what a **commander** Sanae Takagi is.

_′__How many times do I have to tell you, NO DISTURBANCES!′_

And anyone who did otherwise really did end up bloody, or at least black and blue. Or so the rumor goes.

That quickly gave her a fearsome reputation within the campus. Besides being dubbed one of the 'Legendary Duo', San had (somehow) risen to the fifth most popular (and terrifying) girl in SFIT according to the boy's magazine. It certainly didn't help that she was now the vice-captain of the Rifle and Archery club.

"You betcha." He said, a little too compliantly. The fact was he (like all the other members of his department) had been conditioned to flinch whenever San said those particular two words. Apparently whenever she's in her 'no disturbance' mode, any lapse in concentration resulted in a catastrophe of some kind. She doesn't tell him what; he knew she was often royally pissed when it happened.

Regaining some of his composure, Tadashi stood eagerly in front of his Project: Baymax. He couldn't deny the hint of nervousness in his stomach too. "Ahem, this is Tadashi Hamada..." He said. San, despite her complete non-intention, glanced over, and once she caught sight of those overly hopeful brown eyes, she sighed and went back to her project. "and this is the first test of my Robotics project."

"Hello, I am Bayma-a-a-a-" The robot's soothing voice quickly faded into an ear-splitting screech.

Tadashi briefly covered his ears before reaching frantically for the 'off' button.

"STOP STOP STOP STOP."

Once the buzzing noise had quietened down, Tadashi sent an anxious look over at San. Yes, as expected, she shot him an annoyed look before turning around and scribbled viciously in her book. _Whew, thank goodness._ Tadashi thought, almost bewildered...Maybe she was taking pity on him because it was his first try.

.

.

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**_Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab, late November, 6:03 PM_**

"...the seventh test of my robotics project."

"Hello, I am Ba-...um um um u m..."

It was definitely an epic fai- surprise when Tadashi's prized robot gave him a jarring right hook.

The right arm actually broke off and, to Tadashi's dismay, flew around the room, knocking things over before whizzing up to the ceiling. There was no time to retrieve it, because Baymax started hitting him in the face with his _left_ hand.

"W-Wait Wait WAIT! Stop! STOP SCAN! STOP!"

By Tadashi's 5th trial, San had stopped complaining to him and was either completely occupied with her work _regardless_ of the ruckus he made, or just stared at him in quiet amusement. In this, Tadashi considered himself lucky, because his 3rd and 4th trial had _really_ grated her nerves. They were sharing a lab, after all. It was mutual courtesy to respect each other's space and work, and San had never done anything to disrupt his.

"Maybe you should do a boxing bot instead of a nanny bot. God knows the programming will be so much easier then." She coolly suggested, her lips in a smile over her tea mug.

"Ha ha, _very_ funny."

"I heard it's excellent business..." She remarked, continuing the onslaught of teasing.

"Thanks for the suggestion, but I'm not into the whole money-making thing." He looked at her tiredly, yet his voice still held that upbeat note. Tadashi dragged over a chair and mounted himself on it to probe Baymax's wirings.

"Your innocence astounds me." To his surprise, San had crossed over the lab and walked up to him. "One would think that with your entire family running on your aunt's cafe, you'd want to use that brilliant brain of yours to make a few extra bucks." She said soberly, handing him the deflated arm that had landed on top of the room's sole locker.

This made him stop what he was doing, and this time San found herself at the scrutinised end of his benevolent eyes.

"San..."

"What?"

Without actually climbing down, he inclined slightly so he could see her face. "Do you believe robots will become sentient one day?"

He saw no visible change in her exterior, barely managing to catch that fleeting unknowable and thoughtful look.

"...Maybe." She replied calmly, as if he'd asked her about a possible career as a banjo musician. Yet her answer wasn't exactly surprising; this was a sensitive area in their field after all.

"I do. It's possible, and you know it. When that day comes, I just don't want robots to be, you know, just violent machines."

Tadashi shifted back to his work, gingerly removing Baymax's chip and taking it apart, aware of the harmless, appraising gaze of his partner.

"You're too kind for your own good." She said softly, with an mute sigh.

"Thanks?"

She threw him a strange, albeit gentle look. "That wasn't a compliment."

Before Tadashi could get over his baffled daze, his lab mate shrugged and marched away, "Remember, you'll be singing a different tune when you graduate." She set down her mug and slipped back to her work station.

To this Tadashi smiled; he knew she was being ironic. "I'll be fine. Once Baymax starts working, we'll have enough to feed the entire family."

_After all_, he thought as he turned back to his bot, something in him whispered that Baymax would one day be _part_ of his family.

.

.

**_Two days later, at Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab..._**

Tadashi threw a sleep-deprived eye towards the clock.

"It's 1AM already?" He said, staring at the faithful digital beeping. _Aunt Cass would so kill me..._

San approached him, looking too pristine for someone who should be in the same condition (he personally felt as stiff as a tree). "Care for a midnight snack?"

In her hand she offered him a pack of rice crackers and a hot cup of tea. He took them gratefully.

"Thanks, San." He suppressed a long yawn and took a large, satisfying sip. In an instant, he felt refreshed by the drink (placebo effect be damned, he needed it right now).

They drank silently side-by-side, munching on the crackers now and then. Then, Tadashi reached out and asked timidly if he could have coffee next time. This gave him a clobbered head and a very indignant lab mate, who demanded to know what's wrong with tea. Nothing, he replied, he was just more used to coffee, and it gave a stronger dose. When she seemed to seethe, he looked at her apologetically, to which she said nothing.

There was a long pause.

"We should really go home." He said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"We should." San nodded.

"..."

"..."

Neither of them moved from their station. Exchanging a knowing side-glance, both of them nodded.

"Right after I do this test." Tadashi set down his mug.

"I'm just gonna finish the code." San shoved the last piece of cracker into her mouth.

.

.

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**_Early December..._**

"Hey, San?"

"Hmm?"

"You done?" His voice, not even that loud, echoed through the halls. All the other students had already left.

"I'm waiting the program to load. Might take a few minutes." She was still staring at the screen.

"Let's take a break."

"Yeah, good idea." After a few seconds, she stood stretching her arms and went to stand next to him. It had become tradition. Because being next to each other in a vast empty science building late at night was comforting.

"Pfft."

"What?" San asked, turning to find her partner looking like he was trying to stuff his laughter as he scrolled down his news feed. She raised a brow questioningly.

"Nothing."

"What's so funny?" She pressed.

Tadashi couldn't resist it any longer. "Well, look at this article." _The 10 side effects of not getting enough sleep._

"Ha! I can list them off already." San snorted. She passed him a box of blueberries.

"And this one." _The Insomniac's Guide to Productivity._

"Definitely co-authored that one." She plucked a blueberry and brought it to her mouth, a smile spreading across her face. Tadashi's laughter exploded again.

"Man, I think I've forgotten what not being sleepy feels like..." He said, when it seemed he finally controlled his laughing fit.

The room was drawn in a familiar silence, and silence has a way of bringing out the loudest thoughts.

"I haven't spent time with Hiro lately," Tadashi said abstractedly. "We used to go to the park on Sundays to practice baseball."

"So why don't you?" San asked, as concise as ever.

Tadashi simply leaned back. "I've got my thesis coming. And Baymax... he sucks at cooperating right now." He sent a withering glance towards his beloved robot.

San was stuck in a pensive silence at his reply, before softly uttering the words. "こういんひとをまたず, kouin hito o matazu."

"Time waits for no man." Tadashi supplied.

"So you aren't rusty, after all." She smiled, referring to his Japanese.

"Nothing, my mom was a fan of proverbs like these."

"But you know what it really means right?" San said imploringly. "Robots always wait. Baymax will always be there when you come back. But people... people come and go. Nothing is forever. Unless you hold onto them, they'll leave before you know it. _Before you know it._"

At the end of her speech, San's voice weighed with so much emotion that it didn't take a Tadashi to notice. She was rarely this voluble, and when she did speak it was always with a rational and caustic air - _Take it or leave it _was her M.O. - that to hear her this urgent and sincere was both fascinating and surprising to Tadashi.

People don't just say stuff like that, like this if there wasn't story somewhere. He wondered if it would be too much to pry, if he'd asked about it then.

It would, he decided. Instead he kept the conversation close, and speaking of something else entirely different from what he wanted to ask. "Hiro's pretty consumed with his computer lately. Doesn't need me around to make him happy."

"Don't sell stuff you won't buy, Hamada." She shot him a dry look, but her smile seemed a little sadder. "You know he looks up to you. You're his role model. _Nothing_ makes him happier than being with you."

"...Geez, you're full of wisdom tonight."

"Aren't I filling in your lack thereof?" The trace of sadness on San's face is gone, replaced with its usual gleam of mischief and amusement.

Tadashi sighed, recognising her point. "You're right."

"Good." San nodded, pleased that he understood his role quickly.

Tadashi wondered how San had grown fond of his little brother in such a short time. There was that one day, which was dubbed the Mochi Incident, when she and Hiro worked together at the cafe. Could that be it? San seemed to have an intuitive understanding of the boy, and always showed a great deal of concern when Tadashi brought him up. Yet Hiro still seemed uncomfortable around her, and would much rather ignore his older brother when he mentioned his friend.

"San, do you have any siblings?" The question came out naturally. Being a younger sibling herself would easily explain the two's connection.

This question seemed to catch her off-guard. There was a pause. And then...

"...No,"

Tadashi was slightly taken aback by this answer. "No?"

"No," She faintly repeated, her eyes searching him questioningly.

Tadashi had grown to expect the simple truth from San. But in a fleeting moment, for some inexplicable reason, Tadashi thought she was lying. However, he set his suspicion aside. Why should San lie to him? They were honest to each other about everything. What was there to hide?

Unknown to him, his intuition had not been wrong. But it was only half-right. The truth, and yet also a lie.

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* * *

A/N:

Do you think I've made San out to be too mean? She's not a jerk, I swear. She's just...a practical jerk? (*sigh) I'd like to think she's just very outspoken,

Okay, I know I've gone for a long time, but I'd like to thank all my readers who took the time to like and review this story. It definitely hasn't been an easy ride, but I promise we're getting there.

If you want to thank the authors for their effort, please review.

Next chapter: We continue with Tadashi and San's wild Lab Adventures, including a fiery explosion, black-out and a stressed Aunt Cass.


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